Black-eared catbird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black-eared catbird |
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Ailuroedus
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| Species: |
melanotis
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The black-eared catbird (Ailuroedus melanotis) is a special type of bowerbird. You can find these birds in northern Queensland, Australia, and also in New Guinea and its nearby islands. They get their name from their unique calls, which sound a bit like a cat's wail. They also have a clear black spot near their ears.
Their scientific name, Ailuroedus melanotis, tells us more about them. Ailur means "cat," and oidos means "singing." Melas means "black," and otus means "ear." So, their name perfectly describes their cat-like songs and black ears!
For a long time, until 2016, this bird was known as the "spotted catbird." But scientists learned more about these birds. They found that the name "spotted catbird" actually belonged to a different bird, A. maculosus.
Scientists like Martin Irestedt studied the genes of catbirds. They looked at the black-eared, spotted, and green catbird groups. What they found was very interesting! They discovered there were actually seven different types of catbirds.
Before this study, many of these birds were thought to be just different kinds of the same species. But now we know they are separate species! These include:
- The green catbird (A. crassirostris) from eastern Australia.
- The spotted catbird (A. maculosus) from eastern Queensland.
- The Huon catbird (A. astigmaticus) from eastern New Guinea.
- The black-capped catbird (A. melanocephalus) also from eastern New Guinea.
- The Arfak catbird (A. arfakianus) from the Bird's Head Peninsula in New Guinea.
- The northern catbird (A. jobiensis) from central-northern New Guinea.
- And finally, the black-eared catbird (A. melanotis) itself. This one lives in southwestern New Guinea, the Aru Islands, and far North Queensland.
So, what was once thought to be one species is now understood to be seven distinct species!
Where They Live
The black-eared catbird lives in different parts of New Guinea and Australia. Scientists have identified three main groups, or subspecies, of the black-eared catbird:
- One group, Ailuroedus melanotis facialis, lives on the southern slopes of the mountains in west-central New Guinea.
- Another group, Ailuroedus melanotis melanotis, is found in the lowlands of south-central New Guinea and on the Aru Islands.
- The third group, Ailuroedus melanotis joanae, makes its home on the eastern side of the Cape York Peninsula in northeastern Australia.
