Wedge-tailed jery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wedge-tailed jery |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Hartertula
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| Species: |
flavoviridis
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| Synonyms | |
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Neomixis flavoviridis |
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The wedge-tailed jery (Hartertula flavoviridis) is a small bird. It lives only in the eastern part of Madagascar. Scientists first thought it was related to other birds called jeries. But now, they know it belongs to its own special group. It is part of a unique bird family found only in Madagascar.
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What Does the Wedge-tailed Jery Look Like?
The wedge-tailed jery is a small, thin bird. It is about 12 to 13 centimeters (5 inches) long. It weighs around 10 grams, which is about as much as two quarters.
Its feathers are bright yellow on its belly. The top of its head, wings, and back are olive green. It has a light white ring around its eye. A pale stripe crosses above its eye. Male and female birds look the same. Young birds also have similar colors.
How Does the Wedge-tailed Jery Live?
The wedge-tailed jery makes a special sound. It sings a nasal tsee zeezeezeezeezeezee call. It repeats this sound often while looking for food. These birds live in rainforests. They search for food in the low plants and bushes.
They mostly eat insects. They find insects on the underside of leaves and branches. Sometimes, they hang upside down to reach them. They are also good at pulling insects from leaf clumps. They can even find bugs in spider webs at the end of branches.
Wedge-tailed jeries often look for food in small groups. They might also join other types of birds. These mixed groups hunt for food together.
Reproduction and Nests
Wedge-tailed jeries build small, ball-shaped nests. They make their nests from grass. The nests hang between 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6 feet) above the ground. Not much is known about how they raise their young. But we do know that they usually lay two eggs at a time.
Where Does the Wedge-tailed Jery Live?
Wedge-tailed jeries live in thick rainforests. These forests are found in eastern Madagascar. They are most common in rainforests that are not too high up. This is usually between 500 and 1400 meters (1,600 to 4,600 feet) high. They are rare in lower areas. You will not find them above 2300 meters (7,500 feet).
The IUCN lists the wedge-tailed jery as near-threatened. This means it could become endangered in the future. The mid-altitude rainforests where it lives are not the most threatened in Madagascar. However, there is still some risk of losing their home. Also, this bird is not very common anywhere it lives.
