Great shortwing facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Great shortwing |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Muscicapidae |
| Genus: | Heinrichia Stresemann, 1931 |
| Species: |
H. calligyna
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| Binomial name | |
| Heinrichia calligyna Stresemann, 1931
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The great shortwing (Heinrichia calligyna) is a special type of bird. It belongs to the Muscicapidae family, which includes many songbirds. This bird is the only member of its group, called a genus. People also call it the giant shortwing, Celebes shortwing, or Sulawesi shortwing. It lives only on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. You can find it in wet mountain forests.
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What Does the Great Shortwing Look Like?
The great shortwing is a strong, chunky bird. It has short, round wings. It grows to be about 17.5 cm (7 in) long. This is about the same size and shape as a European robin.
The male great shortwing is mostly a very dark blue color. It has a small white patch on each side near its tail. The female is also blue. But she has a white spot in front of her eye. Her lower back (rump) is reddish-brown. Her throat and upper chest have a reddish-brown shine. Her belly is greyish-blue.
Both male and female great shortwings have bright red eyes. They have black beaks and greyish legs.
Where Does the Great Shortwing Live?
The great shortwing lives only on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. This means it is an endemic species. It lives in high places, usually between 1,500 and 3,500 m (4,900 and 11,500 ft) above sea level.
There are three different types, or subspecies, of the great shortwing:
- H. c. simplex lives in northern Sulawesi.
- H. c. calligyna lives in south-central Sulawesi.
- H. c. picta lives in southeastern Sulawesi.
How Does the Great Shortwing Live?
The great shortwing is a very shy bird. It likes to stay hidden in thick plants. You can find it in tangled bushes, vines, deep valleys, and near streams.
Sometimes, you can hear it singing early in the morning. It often sings with another bird, like a duet. Its song is a high-pitched, wavering series of whistles. The sound gets higher and louder. It repeats the same song for up to a minute!
This bird finds its food on the ground. It searches through fallen leaves, moss, and other plants. It probably eats insects, grubs, and other small creatures without backbones. We don't know much about how they build nests or raise their young. However, a young great shortwing was seen in Lore Lindu National Park in September 2016.
What is the Great Shortwing's Status?
We don't know a lot about how many great shortwings there are. Experts think their numbers might be going down. This is because their habitat (where they live) is being destroyed. Also, new animals that hunt them have been brought to the island.
The area where they live is about 13,000 km2 (5,000 sq mi). The bird is not very common in the lower parts of its home. But it is more common in the higher areas. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has looked at its status. They say it is of "least concern". This means it is not in immediate danger of disappearing.
 | William Lucy |
 | Charles Hayes |
 | Cleveland Robinson |
