Macgregor's Bird of Paradise
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| Macgregoria pulchra De Vis, 1897 |
The Macgregor's Bird of Paradise, Macgregoria pulchra also known as Macgregor's Giant Honeyeater is a large, up to 40cm long, black crow-like bird with an orange yellow eye-wattles and black-tipped ochre primaries wing feathers. Both sexes are similar, with the male is slightly larger than female. It is the only member of monotypic genus Macgregoria.
A monogamous species, it inhabits to subalpine forests of New Guinea. The diet consists mainly of fruits. This puzzling and little known bird of paradise is actually a honeyeater. Recent genetic evidence on the Macgregor's Bird of Paradise confirms that it belongs to the Meliphagidae family [1]. It is similar and closely related with the Smoky Honeyeater.
The name commemorates its discoverer, the administrator of British New Guinea Sir William MacGregor.
Due to small and declining population, the Macgregor's Bird of Paradise is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2006). Macgregoria pulchra. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is vulnerable
