Grey warbler: Difference between revisions

Grey Warbler
Conservation status
	Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Pardalotidae
Genus:	Gerygone
Species:	G. igata
Binomial name
	Gerygone igata; (Quoy & Gaimard, 1830)

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Revision as of 02:02, 7 October 2007

The Grey Warbler or Riroriro, Gerygone igata is a species of insectivorous bird in the Pardalotidae family endemic to New Zealand. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.

Description

Smaller than the Silvereye weighing about 6.5 grams this 11cm long bird is grey-brown (tending to olive green tint) above and has a pale grey face, throat and breast and has an off white abdomen, tinged with yellow. The tail is white underneath and dark brown on top with white tips visible in flight, it also has a distinctive ruby-red eye. The female has similar plumage but is smaller in size. The young are paler with no hint of yellow and have brown eyes. The male's song often starts with a series of three squeaks and builds into a distinctive long plaintive wavering trill that rises and falls. They sing throughout the year but most vigorously, when nesting, during spring. More commonly heard than seen.

Distribution and habitat

Common throughout New Zealand main islands and many off-shore islands, absent from open country and alpine areas. At home in native and exotic forests it may be found almost anywhere there is some tree or shrub cover.

Behaviour

Diet

Grey warblers mainly feed upon spiders, insects and their larvae. They are very active, almost never still but they can hover mid-air as they flit from perch to perch in search of food.

Nesting

Grey warblers are unique among New Zealand birds in building a pear-shaped structure with a side entrance near the top. Although the male collects material, the nest itself is constructed by the female from grass, leaves, rootlets and moss, held together with spider web threads. It is constructed anywhere from 2 to 25 feet above the ground, and is lined with feathers and other soft material. It is attached to a twig at the top, but is often also secured at the back or sides well. Although not involved in nest building or incubation, the the male helps to feed both nestlings and fledglings. The 3 to 6 eggs, each laid 2 days apart, are pinkish-white with fine reddish-brown speckles all over. The eggs, weighing 1.5 grams are about 17 millimetres long and 12 millimetres wide. Incubation takes about 19 days and the chicks spend another 15 to 19 days in the nest.

Their breeding season is from August to January and they usually manage two clutches, but the Shining Cuckoo often parasitises this second clutch leaving a single egg for the warblers to incubate and rear.

References

BirdLife International 2004. Gerygone igata. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 26 July 2007.
NZ Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, Nov 2003 [1]
Gerygone Flaviventris. — (Grey Warbler.) | NZETC

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 | synonyms = }}
-The '''Grey Warbler''' or '''Grey Gerygone''', ''Gerygone igata'' is a species of [[insectivore|insectivorous]] [[bird]] in the [[Pardalotidae]] family [[Endemism|endemic]] to [[New Zealand]].
+The '''Grey Warbler''' or '''Riroriro''', ''Gerygone igata'' is a species of [[insectivore|insectivorous]] bird in the [[Pardalotidae]] family [[Endemism|endemic]] to [[New Zealand]].
 Its natural [[habitat]] is temperate [[forest]]s.
-{{Commons|Gerygone igata}}
 ==Description==
-Smaller than the [[Silvereye]] weighing about 6.5 grams this small bird is grey-brown above and has a pale grey face, throat and breast and has an off white abdomen, tinged with yellow.  The tail is white underneath and dark brown on top with white tips visible in flight, it also has a distinctive ruby-red eye.  The female has similar plumage but is smaller in size.  The young are paler with no hint of yellow and have brown eyes. The male's song starts with a series of squeaks that build into a distinctive long plaintive wavering trill that rises and falls.  They sing throughout the year but most vigorously, when nesting, during spring.  More commonly heard than seen.
+Smaller than the [[Silvereye]] weighing about 6.5 grams this 11cm long bird is grey-brown (tending to olive green tint) above and has a pale grey face, throat and breast and has an off white abdomen, tinged with yellow.  The tail is white underneath and dark brown on top with white tips visible in flight, it also has a distinctive ruby-red eye.  The female has similar plumage but is smaller in size.  The young are paler with no hint of yellow and have brown eyes. The male's song often starts with a series of three squeaks and builds into a distinctive long plaintive wavering trill that rises and falls.  They sing throughout the year but most vigorously, when nesting, during spring.  More commonly heard than seen.
 ==Distribution and habitat==
-Common throughout New Zealand, absent from open country and alpine areas.
+Common throughout New Zealand main islands and many off-shore islands, absent from open country and alpine areas.  At home in native and exotic forests it may be found almost anywhere there is some tree or shrub cover.
 ==Behaviour==
@@ Line 30: / Line 29: @@
 ===Nesting===
-Grey warblers are unique among New Zealand birds in building a pear-shaped structure with a side entrance near the top. Although the male collects material, the nest itself is constructed by the female from grass, rootlets and moss, held together with spider web threads.  It is lined with feathers and other soft material.  It is attached to a twig at the top, but is often also secured at the back or sides well.  Although not involved in nest building or incubation, the the male helps to feed both nestlings and fledglings.  The 3 to 5 eggs, each laid 2 days apart, are pinkish-white with fine reddish-brown speckles all over.  The eggs, weighing 1.5 grams are about 17 millimetres long and 12 millimetres wide.  Incubation takes about 19 days and the chicks spend another 15 to 19 days in the nest.
+Grey warblers are unique among New Zealand birds in building a pear-shaped structure with a side entrance near the top. Although the male collects material, the nest itself is constructed by the female from grass, leaves, rootlets and moss, held together with spider web threads.  It is constructed anywhere from 2 to 25 feet above the ground, and is lined with feathers and other soft material.  It is attached to a twig at the top, but is often also secured at the back or sides well.  Although not involved in nest building or incubation, the the male helps to feed both nestlings and fledglings.  The 3 to 6 eggs, each laid 2 days apart, are pinkish-white with fine reddish-brown speckles all over.  The eggs, weighing 1.5 grams are about 17 millimetres long and 12 millimetres wide.  Incubation takes about 19 days and the chicks spend another 15 to 19 days in the nest.
-Their breeding season is from August to December and they usually manage two clutches, but the [[Shining Cuckoo]] often parasitises this second clutch leaving a single egg for the warblers to incubate and rear.
+Their breeding season is from August to January and they usually manage two clutches, but the [[Shining Cuckoo]] often parasitises this second clutch leaving a single egg for the warblers to incubate and rear.
 ==References==
@@ Line 38: / Line 37: @@
 * NZ Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, Nov 2003 [http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/publications/magazine/2003/november/SecretiveSongster.asp]
 * [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-BulBird-t1-g1-t1-body-d0-d13.html Gerygone Flaviventris. &mdash; (Grey Warbler.) | NZETC]
+{{Commons|Gerygone igata}}
 [[Category:Gerygone]]