Noisy scrubbird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Noisy scrubbird |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Atrichornis
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| Species: |
clamosus
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The noisy scrubbird (Atrichornis clamosus) is a special type of bird. It belongs to the scrubbird family. This bird lives only in the coastal areas of south-western Australia, near the city of Albany. It's known for being one of Australia's rarest birds.
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What Does the Noisy Scrubbird Look Like?
The noisy scrubbird has a dark brown back. Its wings are a rust color. The chest is speckled with chestnut brown. It has a grey-brown or pink beak. Its legs and feet are brown or silver. These birds are about 19 to 23 centimeters long. They weigh between 25 and 58 grams. Male scrubbirds have a black triangle on their throat. This helps tell them apart from females.
Noisy scrubbirds are related to the lyrebird. They separated from lyrebirds about 30 to 35 million years ago. They like to eat small bugs. These include ants and beetles. They find their food in very thick plants. This dense plant cover often grows after a natural disaster.
Where Do Noisy Scrubbirds Live?
The noisy scrubbird is one of Australia's rarest birds. People thought it was extinct. But a group of them was found in the 1960s. This happened at Two Peoples Bay, near Albany in Western Australia. Since then, people have worked hard to help them.
Some birds have been moved to new places. These include Bald Island and the Porongorup Ranges. A bushfire had damaged many birds in the Porongorup Ranges. Moving birds helps create new groups.
Noisy Scrubbird Habitat Needs
Noisy scrubbirds need very specific places to live. This is why their numbers are so low. They prefer warm, wet forests. These forests are usually more than 600 meters high. The trees are often 5 to 15 meters tall. They need thick plants on the ground. This cover grows after a forest fire or flood. They also need lots of fallen leaves. They eat bugs that live in these leaves.
They usually move into areas about 10 years after a disaster. But sometimes it can be as soon as 2 years. They have never been found in areas that haven't been damaged in the last 50 years. Their known living area is about 45 square kilometers. This includes the birds at Two Peoples Bay and Bald Island.
Noisy Scrubbird Reproduction and Life Cycle
Male noisy scrubbirds are ready to breed around 5 years old. Females can breed in their first breeding season. Unlike many birds, they lay only one egg at a time. They usually have two eggs in total.
Their nest is round. It is built in low bushes or grasses. They use sticks, leaves, and old plant material. Males do not help with the nest. But they might protect the area where the female lays her eggs. The eggs hatch after about 36 days. The young birds leave the nest 4 to 6 weeks later. In 2005, there were about 695 noisy scrubbirds. This included 278 male birds with their own areas. It was thought there were about 2.5 females for every male.
Protecting the Noisy Scrubbird
The noisy scrubbird is listed as a threatened species. This means it is at risk of disappearing. People thought it was extinct in 1920. But someone reported hearing its call. This gave hope that it would be found again.
Even with 50 years of conservation, their numbers are still going down. Big threats include forest fires. Other dangers are animals like foxes, feral cats, and black rats. These animals were brought to Australia by humans. Habitat loss and climate change also hurt the scrubbirds.
Conservation efforts focus on controlling predators. They also gather information using surveys and radio trackers. There have been some successes. But fires caused by lightning have damaged some progress.
A type of fungi called Phytophthora cinnamomi is also a problem. It can kill many trees. This changes the forest and could harm the scrubbirds. This fungi can also bring more predators to an area.
Moving scrubbirds to new places has been tried. But it has not been very successful. This is because they need a very specific habitat. Even removing predators did not help much.
The best way to protect them is to carefully watch their populations. Controlling forest fires is also very important. A big fire in their main living areas could undo all the conservation work.
See also
In Spanish: Matorralero bullicioso para niños
