Northern Variable Pitohui

Alternative names: Greater Wood-shrike; Greater Pitohui

Photo by Mehd Halaouate
Taja, Papua, September 2006

Pitohui kirhocephalus

Includes: Northern Variable Pitohui; Southern Variable Pitohui; Raja Ampat Pitohui

Identification

23 to 25.5 cm, 9-10 inches 75-83 g

• A species with many different forms and some sexual diamorphism
• Nominate subspecies:
  • Grey head
  • Dark reddish-brown upperparts
  • Brownish grey upperwing and tail
  • Grey throat
  • Rust coloured underparts
  • Reddish brown iris
  • Black beak
  • Grey legs
  • Sexes alike
  • Immature similar to adults

• Brunneicaudus
  • Grey head and throat
  • Overall less rich colouring than nominate

• Senex
  • Grey head and throat
  • similar to nominate, but underparts slightly paler

• Carolinae
  • Very like nominate, but
  • Head darker grey
  • Dark brown upperparts
  • Rump and tail darker
  • Paler underparts

• Decipiens
  • Blacker wings and tail
  • Male has much darker head
  • Female has slightly darker head

• Dohertyi
  • similar to decipiens, but
  • Black wings and tail
  • Darker and richer body
  • Male has black head
  • Female has blackish head

• Adiensis
  • Similar to decipiens, but
  • Darker head and breast
  • Slightly lighter orange brown lower breast and below

• Rubiensis
  • Similar to decipiens, but
  • Male has paler head and tail
  • Female slightly paler head and tail than male

• Stramineipectus
  • Similar to rubiensis, but
  • Ashy head
  • Yellowish-white underparts

• Cerviniventris
  • Paler grey crown and side of head than back
  • Greyish-brown throat
  • Greyish-brown upperparts
  • Browner and darker wings and tail
  • Rust coloured underparts

• Pallidus
  • Paler than cerviniventris, particularly on underparts

• Uropygialis
  • Rich red-brown upper back, lower breast and belly
  • Rest of plummage black

• Tibialis
  • Similar touropygialis, but
  • Deeper red-brown overall

• Nigripectus
  • Male has reddish-brown back and rust coloured belly, remainder of plumage black
  • Female similar but breast also rust coloured

• Aruensis
  • Similar to Nigripectus, but
  • Deeper reddish-brown belly
  • Reddish-brown breast mixed with black
  • Female has dusky head and throat (not black)

• Meridionalis
  • Rusty chestnut upperparts
  • Reddish to yellowish brown belly and undertail coverts
  • Female has grey-brown to dark brown head and throat
  • Brown wings and tail

• Brunneiceps
  • Similar to meridionalis, but
  • Brown head and throat
  • Black beak

• Brunneivertex
  • Brown head and throat
  • Bright rust coloured underparts
  • Crown and side of head same or slightly paler
  • Remainder of upperparts, tail and outer edges of remiges light reddish-brown
  • Horn coloured beak

• Jobiensis
  • Similar to brunneivertex, but
  • Entire plumage is deeper and richer reddish-brown
  • Pale bill

• Meyeri
  • Similar to brunneivertex, but
  • Paler underparts, more rust brown
  • Slightly paler head
  • Darker, more grey-brown throat
  • Paler underparts

Distribution

Endemic to New Guinea.
Common to very common.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Clements^[1] accepts 21 subspecies which are split in three species by Gill and Donsker^[3]:

• Northern Variable Pitohui - Pitohui kirhocephalus

• P. k. kirhocephalus on coastal northeast New Guinea
• P. k. salvadorii in northwest New Guinea (Geelvink Bay region)
• P. k. dohertyi in northwest New Guinea (islands and peninsulas of Wandammen area)
• P. k. rubiensis in northwest New Guinea (head of Geelvink Bay)
• P. k. stramineipectus in southwest New Guinea (Triton Bay region)
• P. k. decipiens in southwest New Guinea (Onin Peninsula)
• P. k. adiensis on Adi Island (off south coast of Onin Peninsula)
• P. k. carolinae in southwestern New Guinea (Etna Bay region)
• P. k. brunneivertex in western New Guinea (southeast coast of Geelvink Bay)
• P. k. jobiensis on Kurudu Island and Yapen Island
• P. k. meyeri in coastal northern New Guinea (Mamberamo River to Tami River)
• P. k. senex in northern New Guinea (upper Sepik Valley)
• P. k. brunneicaudus in northern New Guinea (lower Sepik River to upper Ramu River)

• Southern Variable Pitohui - Pitohui (kirhocephalus) uropygialis

• P. k. nigripectus in south New Guinea
• P. k. meridionalis in southeast New Guinea (Chads Bay to Yule Island)
• P. k. brunneiceps in south New Guinea (Fly River to Gulf of Papua)
• P. k. aruensis on Aru Islands
• P. k. uropygialis on Salawati and Misool islands
• P. k. tibialis in northwest New Guinea (western half of Vogelkop Peninsula)

• Raja Ampat Pitohui - Pitohui (kirhocephalus) cerviniventris

• P. k. pallidus on Sagewin and Batanta islands
• P. k. cervineiventris on Waigeo and Gemien islands

Habitat

Moist lowland forests. Found up to 1100m, locally to 1500m.

Behaviour

Diet

The diet includes insects and berries.
Often hiding in dense vegetation.
Forages in mixed flocks

Breeding

Breeding recorded in June and July. No other information.

Vocalisation

A loud song consisting of a mixture of meldious whistles and scratchy elements, start with short notes increasing in volume with longer pitch increases. Often includes rising whistles, 2 notes with the second somewhat higher, staccato whistles and rising series of rattles, e.g. “tow-hu, towhíhu-uwuwu, tow-whííéw, towhuwhéu, towwwééíí, tu-wu”; often given by two birds in duet, one member of pair starts, quickly joined by other, also by neighbouring males when countersinging. Additionally 5 loud, harsh syllables with short pause after first note, “eeek, ukíkokíéw”. In duet at dawn, first bird gives whistled upslur, second answers with staccato “tup”. Call conists of a rising note.

Movement

Resident species.

Toxicity

Pitohui and Ifrita accumulate batrachotoxins within their skin structures by eating Choresine beetles^[6] (family Melyridae), which produce the toxins. This phenomenon was discovered after ornithologists researching the species suffered red spots on their hands after handling the birds for banding.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553422
3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved February 2016)
4. Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2016. IOC World Bird Names (version 6.1). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
5. Thread in the Birdforum Taxonomy Forum.
6. Dumbacher JP, Wako A, Derrickson SR, Samuelson A, Spande TF, Daly JW (2004). "Melyrid beetles (Choresine): a putative source for the batrachotoxin alkaloids found in poison-dart frogs and toxic passerine birds"
7. Birdforum members Rasmus Boegh and Steve Pryor observations

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Northern Variable Pitohui. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Northern_Variable_Pitohui

External Links

Search for photos of Northern Variable Pitohui in the gallery