Mielero Pintado

Identificación

Weighing around 20-25g, the painted honeyeater is a small bird that is approximately 16 cm in length, with a similar wingspan. Of the total length, the tail averages about 5.5 cm long and the bill 1.3 cm.<p>The face, crown and upper parts of the body (including the scapulars, nape and rump) on adult male birds are black, with small white spots located on either side of the head. The underside of the body, consisting of the chin, throat, breast and belly, as well as the underside of the tail, is white. Black spots may be present in amongst the white feathers of the flanks, breast and belly.<p>The edges of black flight feathers and greater primary and secondary coverts are bright yellow, as are those of the tail feathers, which also have white tips. The striking colour contrast in the feathers of the remiges and rectrices is one of the species' most distinctive traits, along with its pink bill, which has a grey tip. Feet and legs are also grey, while the irises of the eyes are reddish-brown .<p>Females are slightly smaller than the males and are paler in colour, with fewer spots running down the flanks. Juveniles are even paler than the female, appearing more brown than black, with fainter yellow colouring to feathers and with a grey bill rather than the pink seen on adults.

Taxonomía

A member of the family Meliphagidae, Grantiella picta is the sole species under this genus. The painted honeyeater was first described in 1838 by Gould and given the name Entomophila picta, but it was renamed Grantiella picta in 1911 by Mathews.<p>It took another sixty years from its initial description before details of its eggs, habits, and distribution began to be investigated and recorded. Its genus name is in reference to Robert Grant, a Scottish-born taxidermist and collector, while the species name originates from the Latin word for painted, pictus, and refers to the yellow markings on the feathers of its tail and wings.<p>DNA sequencing has helped in organising genera within the family Meliphagidae into four main clades, which show relationships between species. However, a shortage in sampling and statistical analysis has led to some branches within the clades being more strongly linked than others.<p>A study conducted by Driskell and Christidis suggested that Grantiella is in the fourth clade and has associations with Plectorhyncha and Xanthotis. The relationship reported between Grantiella and Plectorhyncha was an unexpected discovery, due to their morphological differences; their similarity in nest-building behaviour was previously not enough to infer that the two species may be closely linked.<p>Several findings in the study by Driskell and Christidis have since been questioned in a more recent study on the DNA within the family Meliphagidae, but Grantiella picta was not one of the species investigated further.

Nombre científico

Grantiella picta

Autoridad

(Gould, 1838)

Orden

Passeriformes

Familia

Melifágidos

Género

Grantiella

Distribución y hábitat

The painted honeyeater is endemic to Australia and is found across eastern and northern parts of the country. Over spring and summer its distribution stretches from inland central Victoria through scattered parts of much of New South Wales and the ACT and into southern Queensland.<p>Over winter birds migrate to north Queensland, around Cape York Peninsula, and eastern areas of the Northern Territory. There have also been recordings of several sightings in far eastern parts of South Australia.<p>Found predominantly in woodlands and forests which contain Eucalyptus and Acacia species, their movement is not completely understood but has been connected to the presence of mistletoe and the role of that plant as a food source. Their migration south-north is believed to be as a result of mistletoe berry availability at certain times of the year.<p>Studies have been conducted which suggest that habitat areas which have undergone less fragmentation and land clearing may see a greater number of painted honeyeaters present. They have also been found to be more abundant in locations where there are a large number of trees present and a high percentage of canopy cover.<p>The painted honeyeater is a nomadic species that is very elusive. Observing them is rare but when they are seen it is commonly as pairs or individuals, and less frequently as a flock.<p>BirdLife International has identified the following sites as being important for painted honeyeater conservation:

Migración

Migrantes completos

Comportamiento

Patrón migratorio: Migrantes completos.

Conservación

Tendencia poblacional: estable.

Tendencia poblacional

estable