43-656: See text The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family , Meliphagidae , of small to medium-sized birds. The family includes the Australian chats , myzomelas , friarbirds , wattlebirds , miners and melidectes . They are most common in Australia and New Guinea , and found also in New Zealand , the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga , and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea . Bali , on
86-620: A bird. This is not a reference to any aspect of the golden white-eye's behaviour, but to the old French name of the Mariana Islands, les Îles des Voleurs , or Robbers' Islands. The specific epithet marchei refers to the French explorer and writer Antoine-Alfred Marche , who procured the original specimens. The golden white-eye is endemic to the Northern Mariana Islands in the western Pacific Ocean, where it currently occurs on
129-444: A different feeding technique. At a smaller scale additional partitioning occurs. The golden white-eye shows differences in the preferred microhabitat for obtaining insects, for example, feeding in dead leaves and branches, whereas the bridled white-eye prefers gleaning insects on live leaves. It is the most generalised of all the extant forest passerines on Saipan. It has been suggested that the versatility in diet and foraging technique
172-554: A lack of widespread consensus within the scientific community for extended periods. The continual publication of new data and diverse opinions plays a crucial role in facilitating adjustments and ultimately reaching a consensus over time. The naming of families is codified by various international bodies using the following suffixes: The taxonomic term familia was first used by French botanist Pierre Magnol in his Prodromus historiae generalis plantarum, in quo familiae plantarum per tabulas disponuntur (1689) where he called
215-432: A larger population of this white-eye than it already does. A 2009 study, which incorporated results from a 2007 survey, found that the species had declined between 1982 and 2007, in common with two other species on Saipan, the rufous fantail and the nightingale reed warbler . All three species are insectivorous and were theorised to have declined due to habitat loss. Nevertheless, the species remained relatively abundant, and
258-434: A little fruit, and a small number eat considerable amounts of fruit, particularly in tropical rainforests and, oddly, in semi-arid scrubland. The painted honeyeater is a mistletoe specialist. Most, however, exist on a diet of nectar supplemented by varying quantities of insects. In general, the honeyeaters with long, fine bills are more nectarivorous, the shorter-billed species less so, but even specialised nectar eaters like
301-432: Is sympatric (shares its range) and competes with the related bridled white-eye . The golden white-eye has golden plumage and a pale eye-ring. It feeds on insects, fruit, and nectar and forages in pairs or small family groups. The bird is monogamous and lays two eggs in a small cup nest . Fossil evidence shows the golden white-eye once also occurred on Tinian and Rota but was extirpated in those locations through
344-456: Is a pollinator of some trees, albeit not one as important as these other species. Insects may be either gleaned from the bark of trees and from leaves, or caught in the air. Certain tree species are preferred as foraging habitat. The common forest tree Cynometra ramifolia is the most favoured tree and used more frequently than the equally common Guamia mariannae . There is considerable overlap between this species' foraging range and that of
387-425: Is a species of bird in the white-eye family, Zosteropidae . It is the only species within the genus Cleptornis . The golden white-eye was once considered to be a honeyeater in the family Meliphagidae and although it is now known to be a white-eye, its position within that family is still uncertain. The species is restricted to the islands of Saipan and Aguijan in the Northern Mariana Islands , where it
430-415: Is also aggressive towards the smaller bridled white-eye, chasing it away from food and perches and flying through flocks of them in order to disperse them. While it chases other forest passerines , it is less aggressive towards them, and in fact the rufous fantail seeks out the golden white-eye, foraging behind it to snatch insects flushed by the latter species. The golden white-eye is socially dominant over
473-462: Is an adaptation to the challenges presented by typhoons , which can dramatically alter the structure of the forest. Breeding occurs throughout the year on Saipan, where the species' nesting behaviour has been studied. The peak breeding period seems to be from March to July. The species is monogamous . The nests are simple undecorated cups of casuarina needles, grasses, and vines. These are placed around 2.9 m (between 1.5 and 6.5 m) off
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#1732858848336516-499: Is commonly referred to as the "walnut family". The delineation of what constitutes a family— or whether a described family should be acknowledged— is established and decided upon by active taxonomists . There are not strict regulations for outlining or acknowledging a family, yet in the realm of plants, these classifications often rely on both the vegetative and reproductive characteristics of plant species. Taxonomists frequently hold varying perspectives on these descriptions, leading to
559-474: Is flicked rapidly and repeatedly into a flower, the upper mandible then compressing any liquid out when the bill is closed. In addition to nectar, all or nearly all honeyeaters take insects and other small creatures, usually by hawking , sometimes by gleaning . A few of the larger species, notably the white-eared honeyeater , and the strong-billed honeyeater of Tasmania , probe under bark for insects and other morsels. Many species supplement their diets with
602-425: Is not reduced (as it is in the other species). It is a large white-eye, 14 cm (5.5 in) long and weighing around 20 g (0.7 oz ). The species has bright, unmistakable plumage , with: an orange-yellow head coupled with a pale eye-ring; a yellow-green back, wings, and tail; and golden orange undersides. The bill and legs are also orange. The plumage of both sexes is similar; the males can be told from
645-480: Is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy . It is classified between order and genus . A family may be divided into subfamilies , which are intermediate ranks between the ranks of family and genus. The official family names are Latin in origin; however, popular names are often used: for example, walnut trees and hickory trees belong to the family Juglandaceae , but that family
688-538: Is unknown, but probably substantial. A great many Australian plants are fertilised by honeyeaters, particularly the Proteaceae , Myrtaceae , and Ericaceae . It is known that the honeyeaters are important in New Zealand (see Anthornis ) as well, and assumed that the same applies in other areas. Honeyeaters can be either nectarivorous , insectivorous , frugivorous , or a combination of nectar- and insect-eating. Unlike
731-488: The Genera Plantarum of George Bentham and Joseph Dalton Hooker this word ordo was used for what now is given the rank of family. Families serve as valuable units for evolutionary, paleontological, and genetic studies due to their relatively greater stability compared to lower taxonomic levels like genera and species. Cleptornis Ptilotis marchei The golden white-eye ( Cleptornis marchei )
774-659: The Foja Mountains of Papua , Indonesia . In 2008, a study that included molecular phylogenetic analysis of museum specimens in the genera Moho and Chaetoptila , both extinct genera endemic to the Hawaiian islands, argued that these five species were not members of the Meliphagidae and instead belong to their own distinct family, the Mohoidae . Family (biology) Family ( Latin : familia , pl. : familiae )
817-477: The hummingbirds of America, honeyeaters do not have extensive adaptations for hovering flight, though smaller members of the family do hover hummingbird-style to collect nectar from time to time. In general, honeyeaters prefer to flit quickly from perch to perch in the outer foliage, stretching up or sideways or hanging upside down at need. Many genera have a highly developed brush-tipped tongue, frayed and fringed with bristles which soak up liquids readily. The tongue
860-430: The spinebills take extra insects to add protein to their diet when breeding. The movements of honeyeaters are poorly understood. Most are at least partially mobile but many movements seem to be local, possibly between favourite haunts as the conditions change. Fluctuations in local abundance are common, but the small number of definitely migratory honeyeater species aside, the reasons are yet to be discovered. Many follow
903-481: The Mariana Islands. Fossil bones of this species have been found on the nearby islands of Tinian and Rota , and it may once have occurred on Guam and other islands in the Marianas. At present the golden white-eye is very common, and in fact a 1996 study found that their densities on Saipan were among the highest recorded for any bird, up to 2,095 birds/km² (8.47 per acre). It was believed that Saipan cannot sustain
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#1732858848336946-502: The Meliphagidae, has recently been removed to the newly erected Notiomystidae of which it is the only member. The "Macgregor's bird-of-paradise", historically considered a bird-of-paradise ( Paradisaeidae ), was recently found to be a honeyeater. It is now known as " MacGregor's honeyeater " and is classified in the Meliphagidae. The wattled smoky honeyeater ( Melipotes carolae ), described in 2007, had been discovered in December 2005 in
989-423: The bridled white-eye, but the golden white-eye is more generalised in its diet. Within the forest there is some partitioning of niche, with bridled white-eyes (and Micronesian myzomelas) feeding primarily in the forest canopy , and the golden white-eye feeding in both the canopy and understory of the forest, as well as a variety of smaller trees and bushes. It shares the understory with the rufous fantail, which has
1032-526: The bridled white-eyes and rufous fantails, but it is subordinate to the Micronesian myzomela and is chased by that species. It is also occasionally chased by the fantails if it approaches their nests too closely. The golden white-eye is a generalist, feeding on fruit, berries, and insects . Nectar forms part of the diet, and, along with the Micronesian myzomela and the bridled white-eye, the golden white-eye
1075-401: The brooding and feeding duties, and take away faecal sacs to keep the nest clean. The diet of the chicks is almost exclusively composed of insects and caterpillars. Chicks fledge around 10–14 days after hatching. After fledging they may remain with their parents in small groups for some time. The range of the golden white-eye has contracted considerably since the arrival of humans in
1118-641: The current world population is estimated at around 71,997 birds. The species is nonetheless evaluated as Endangered by the IUCN because the population is expected to undergo a rapid decline if the brown tree snake becomes established on Saipan. The primary threat to this species is the brown tree snake , a native of Australia , New Guinea and the Solomon Islands , which eliminated all 12 landbird species on nearby Guam after being accidentally introduced . The snake has not yet become established on Saipan, one of
1161-398: The evolutionary history of the oscine passerine radiation. Although honeyeaters look and behave very much like other nectar-feeding passerines around the world (such as the sunbirds and flowerpeckers ), they are unrelated, and the similarities are the consequence of convergent evolution . The extent of the evolutionary partnership between honeyeaters and Australasian flowering plants
1204-530: The family as a rank intermediate between order and genus was introduced by Pierre André Latreille in his Précis des caractères génériques des insectes, disposés dans un ordre naturel (1796). He used families (some of them were not named) in some but not in all his orders of "insects" (which then included all arthropods ). In nineteenth-century works such as the Prodromus of Augustin Pyramus de Candolle and
1247-624: The females only when examined in the hand, since the males have longer wings than the females. The juveniles have similar plumage, though duller than the adults', with brownish patches on the face and neck and brown-yellow streaks on the breast. Juveniles also have dusky bills and dull legs. The golden white-eye makes a variety of calls . The song is a long raspy warble, rendered as "séé mé-can you séé mé-I can séé yóú-can you séé mé". The species also makes rasping shorter calls and whistles when in flocks and in flight. Chicks give plaintive whistles when begging for food from adults. Like other white-eyes,
1290-528: The flowering of favourite food plants. Arid zone species appear to travel further and less predictably than those of the more fertile areas. It seems probable that no single explanation will emerge. The genera Cleptornis (golden honeyeater) and Apalopteron (Bonin honeyeater), formerly treated in the Meliphagidae, have recently been transferred to the Zosteropidae on genetic evidence. The genus Notiomystis (New Zealand stitchbird), formerly classified in
1333-435: The golden white-eye is diurnal . In contrast to the bridled white-eye , which forages in groups and is not territorial, the golden white-eye occurs in pairs or small family groups consisting of a breeding pair and fledged young. The golden white-eye is also territorial , and pairs will sing throughout the day in response to neighbouring pairs. Groups can become aggressive when they encounter one another. The golden white-eye
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1376-428: The ground in a variety of trees including Casuarina , Guamia , Cynometra , Leucaena , and Citrus . The nests are predated by other bird species, specifically Micronesian starlings and collared kingfishers , as well as the introduced green tree skink . The typical clutch size is two eggs, 20.3 × 15.1 mm in size, which are pale blueish green with red or brown splotches that are concentrated around
1419-482: The honeyeaters and subsequently moved to the white-eyes. The golden white-eye has a long 10th primary feather (one of the flight feathers), unlike other white-eyes where that primary is reduced or absent, which has led to the alternative suggestion that it is basal (an early offshoot) among the white-eyes. Its generic name, Cleptornis , is derived from the Ancient Greek kleptes , a robber or thief, and ornis ,
1462-440: The impact of human activities. Despite its current abundance on Saipan and Aguijan, and the fact that it has among the highest recorded densities for any bird, it is nevertheless considered to be Endangered . It is threatened by the invasive brown tree snake , which has become established on nearby Guam, and this predator is expected to cause a rapid decline in the population if it reaches Saipan. Efforts are under way to control
1505-475: The islands of Saipan and Aguijan . Within its range, it occupies a variety of habitats , both natural and man-made. It is common in native forests , particularly limestone forests, but also occurs in open shrubland and suburban areas . On Saipan, the only habitats it is absent from are the marshes around Lake Susupe and grassy savannas . The golden white-eye differs from the other white-eyes in having large eyes and an outermost primary wing feather that
1548-545: The other side of the Wallace Line , has a single species. In total, there are 186 species in 55 genera , roughly half of them native to Australia, many of the remainder occupying New Guinea. With their closest relatives, the Maluridae (Australian fairy-wrens), Pardalotidae (pardalotes), and Acanthizidae (thornbills, Australian warblers, scrubwrens, etc.), they comprise the superfamily Meliphagoidea and originated early in
1591-567: The seventy-six groups of plants he recognised in his tables families ( familiae ). The concept of rank at that time was not yet settled, and in the preface to the Prodromus Magnol spoke of uniting his families into larger genera , which is far from how the term is used today. In his work Philosophia Botanica published in 1751, Carl Linnaeus employed the term familia to categorize significant plant groups such as trees , herbs , ferns , palms , and so on. Notably, he restricted
1634-455: The snakes and breed the white-eye in zoos . The species was once called the golden honeyeater as it was considered to be a honeyeater (Meliphagidae). It was placed within the genus Ptilotis by French naturalist Émile Oustalet when he described the species in 1889; that genus is now considered defunct and is no longer used. It was subsequently moved into the genus Cleptornis , which had been provisionally established by Oustalet in case
1677-459: The snakes from being introduced and established on Saipan. Six zoos have recently received this species and breeding was expected to begin by 2011. Success came more quickly, and the first captive birds were bred in 2009 in the North Carolina Zoo . Birds from captive breeding will be introduced on new islands. In addition, 24 birds were translocated from Saipan to the island of Sarigan ,
1720-457: The species proved to be distinct. Behavioural and morphological characteristics led American ornithologist Harold Douglas Pratt, Jr. , to suggest in 1987 that it was related to the white-eyes . Subsequent studies have supported the idea that this species was a white-eye. It is possibly most closely related to the Micronesian white-eyes of the genus Rukia , or the monotypic Bonin white-eye ( Apalopteron ), another species once placed with
1763-434: The two islands that compose the range of the golden white-eye, and which holds the largest population of the species. The isolation of Aguijan makes the introduction of brown tree snakes there unlikely, but the small population there is vulnerable as the island is only 718 ha (1774 acres) in size and a direct hit by a supertyphoon could wipe them out. Efforts are under way to breed the species in captivity and to prevent
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1806-492: The use of this term solely within the book's morphological section, where he delved into discussions regarding the vegetative and generative aspects of plants. Subsequently, in French botanical publications, from Michel Adanson 's Familles naturelles des plantes (1763) and until the end of the 19th century, the word famille was used as a French equivalent of the Latin ordo (or ordo naturalis ). In zoology ,
1849-449: The wider end. Both sexes share the incubation duties , with each parent incubating for stints of around 25 minutes before being relieved. This species is extremely territorial around the nest, chasing away other birds, including bridled white-eyes, rufous fantails, and other golden white-eyes. From laying it takes about two weeks for the eggs to hatch. The hatchlings are altricial , in other words naked and helpless. Both parents share
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