Long-bearded honeyeater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Long-bearded honeyeater |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Melionyx
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| Species: |
princeps
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| Synonyms | |
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Melidectes princeps |
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The long-bearded honeyeater (Melionyx princeps) is a special bird. It belongs to the honeyeater family. These birds are known for eating nectar, like hummingbirds.
This bird used to be called the "long-bearded melidectes." Scientists changed its name to "long-bearded honeyeater" in 2019. They also moved it to a new group called Melionyx after studying its DNA.
What Does It Look Like?
The long-bearded honeyeater is about 27 cm (10.6 inches) long. It has a long, thin black beak. The skin around its eye is bright orange. Its feathers are a dark, sooty black color.
What makes it unique is its wispy white beard. This beard is long enough to reach the bend of its wing! This helps tell it apart from other similar sooty honeyeaters.
Where Does It Live?
This honeyeater lives only in Papua New Guinea. This means it is endemic to that country. You can find it on certain mountains like Mt Giluwe, Mt Hagen, and Mt Wilhelm. It also lives in the Kubor Range, Mt Michael, and the Kaijende Highlands.
Its home covers an area of about 19,000 square kilometers. It prefers to live in high places. These places include shrubland, grassland, or moist forests.
How Does It Behave?
Long-bearded honeyeaters usually stay in the tops of trees. They eat a mix of things. Their diet includes sweet nectar from flowers, fruit, and insects.
They often feed in pairs or small groups. These birds build their nests in June and July. Scientists have not yet recorded what their voice sounds like.
Threats and Conservation
The long-bearded honeyeater is listed as a vulnerable species. This means it is at risk of disappearing. In 2000, experts thought there were fewer than 10,000 adult birds left.
For a while, people thought losing their habitat was the biggest threat. But now, scientists think these birds can live even in areas where forests are broken up. Climate change is still a possible danger for them.
Right now, there are no special plans to protect them. However, there is an idea to study the forest areas where they live. This would help scientists understand them better.
