Falconelle with helmet
The falconelle with helmet ( Falcunculus frontatus ) (in English: The Crested Shrike-tit ) is an endemic bird in Australia which one finds in the wooded areas of Eucalyptus. It has a powerful nozzle a little similar to that of the parakeets which is used to him to tear off the pieces of barks to go to seek the insects which hide below.
Subspecies
One distinguishes 3 pennies species from them corresponding to 3 areas from Australia which differ by their colors:
- Falcunculus frontatus leucogaster (yellow dominating) in south-west,
- Falcunculus frontatus whiteidans: (gray back, white belly) in north
- Falcunculus frontatus frontatus (green backs and wings, yellow belly) in the east.
Description
It is a small bird (16cm of long weight: 27 G) characterized by its variable conspicuous colors according to under species, the tuft of black feathers that it can rectify and which overhangs its head and especially its large nozzle. The head is striped of black and white, with large wings and a square shank.
The males are larger than the females in length, scale, weight and size of the nozzle. The males have the black throat while the females have it green olive.
Food
It nourishes insects unearthed under the barks of eucalyptus which it makes jump while slipping its nozzle into a groove then expels of a blow of head. It nourishes also fruits and seeds
Habitat
She lives the eucalypti is in thickets soits along the rivers
Reproduction
The period of reproduction extends from August at January. The female lays 2 or 3 eggs in a conical nest located at the top of a eucalyptus. The eggs are brooded 23 days by the 2 parents who take part also all the 2 in their food: there are generally two brooded per annum.
Recent genetic work suggests that the falconelles ones and the barkers caruncles could be gathered in their own family: Falcunculidae (Dickinson 2003).