Common cicadabird facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Common cicadabird
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Edolisoma
Species:	tenuirostre
Synonyms
Coracina tenuirostris

The common cicadabird (Edolisoma tenuirostre), also known as the slender-billed cicadabird, is a type of bird that belongs to the Campephagidae family. This family includes birds often called cuckooshrikes.

You can find the common cicadabird in many places, including Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. These birds usually live in forests, especially those that are warm and moist, like temperate forests or subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Scientists have studied the common cicadabird a lot. They found that this species spread very quickly across many islands in the Indo-Pacific region and also into Australia. This happened a long time ago during the Pleistocene era, which is why it's sometimes called a "great speciator" – meaning it formed many different types as it spread out.

Different Kinds of Cicadabirds

Just like there are different breeds of dogs, there are different types of common cicadabirds, called subspecies. These subspecies look a bit different or live in specific areas. Scientists have found many of these different types!

For example, some subspecies include:

• E. t. edithae found in southern Sulawesi, Indonesia.
• E. t. grayi which lives from Morotai to Bacan in the northern Maluku Islands, Indonesia.
• E. t. amboiense found on islands like Buru, Ambon, and Seram in Indonesia.
• E. t. muellerii which is common across most of New Guinea and nearby islands.
• E. t. tenuirostre found in eastern Australia, from Queensland down to Victoria.
• E. t. melvillense which lives in northern Australia, from Western Australia to the Cape York Peninsula.

Each of these subspecies has adapted to its specific home.

Gallery

• 

  A male common cicadabird in Kobble Creek, southeast Queensland.

• 

  A common cicadabird at Crossroads Reserve, New South Wales.