Colonel Boris' stupid question corner... (1 Viewer)

colonelboris · Jun 12, 2006

Go on, I'll start (damned by my own tagline...)

Are catbirds and mocking birds types of thrush? :eat:

Edward woodwood · Jun 12, 2006

watcha Colonel

afraid they aint

they're Sturnids (Sturnidae)

other members of the family are starlings, oxpeckers and mynas. The Mockingbirds and Catbirds do form their own tribe though - the mimini

David FG · Jun 12, 2006

colonelboris said:
Go on, I'll start (damned by my own tagline...)

Are catbirds and mocking birds types of thrush? :eat:

No. They are members of the family Mimidae. Though I believe they are not too distantly related.

David FG · Jun 12, 2006

My answer came late, and the information is out of date, it seems.

I must buy an up-to-date book on American birds!

colonelboris · Jun 12, 2006

Really? That's surprising, I mean look at how similar these two look...

and

That's very interesting, that.
Thanks!

colonelboris · Jun 13, 2006

Ok, I'm off for a week (hopefully I'll get some birding in...) so here's a few to chew on while I'm away...

1: If the long-tailed tit is not a real tit, what other birds are in its family?
2: Why is bearded tit/reedling not placed with other babblers in many bird books?
3: Are wrens closely related to thrushes?
4: Do all species of cuckoo lay eggs in some other poor bird's nest?
5: Is it reasonable to call a tern a 'seagull GTI' (only kidding).

Feel free to add any other questions, anyone...

Thanks!

Jane Turner · Jun 13, 2006

colonelboris said:
Really? That's surprising, I mean look at how similar these two look...

and

That's very interesting, that.
Thanks!

That would be convergent evolution Colonel

colonelboris · Jun 13, 2006

Damn you and your big words!
Ta!

Jane Turner · Jun 13, 2006

colonelboris said:
Damn you and your big words!
Ta!

Try this for two unrelated birds that look similar

http://www.avesdechile.cl/351a.jpg

http://www.keeponbirding.com/image_cache/254_kleine-alk2.jpg

colonelboris · Jun 13, 2006

Very nice comparison.
Just like buntings filling the gap of warblers in the new world, I guess.

Xenospiza · Jun 13, 2006

colonelboris said:
Ok, I'm off for a week (hopefully I'll get some birding in...) so here's a few to chew on while I'm away...

1: If the long-tailed tit is not a real tit, what other birds are in its family?
2: Why is bearded tit/reedling not placed with other babblers in many bird books?
3: Are wrens closely related to thrushes?
4: Do all species of cuckoo lay eggs in some other poor bird's nest?
5: Is it reasonable to call a tern a 'seagull GTI' (only kidding).

(1) Not totally cleared yet (many Asian Aegithalos tits and the American Bushtit), but apparently the very cool Asian Tit-Warblers (Leptopoecile) and Cettia assemblage (which should be in its own family because of the number of tail feathers) are closely related.
(2) Because field guides are not taxonomic handbooks, no one knew exactly what it was, placed it with parrotbills (often placed with timaliids, but not always)... Recent evidence shows it's in the "warbler superfamily" but not related to anything really.
(3) No (thrushes are related to flycatchers, dippers and starlings; wrens to warblers etc).
(4) No: e.g. many American Cuckoos do not. Very interesting scope of breeding behaviours in the cuckoo family.
(5) The word seagull is forbidden.

Jane Turner · Jun 13, 2006

colonelboris said:
Very nice comparison.
Just like buntings filling the gap of warblers in the new world, I guess.

Precisely

Xenospiza · Jun 13, 2006

Just as a bonus and to support my use of the word "cool": look at this bird!
http://www.jussivakkala.com/china/crested_titwarbler.html

Grousemore · Jun 13, 2006

David FG said:
My answer came late, and the information is out of date, it seems.

I must buy an up-to-date book on American birds!

Your info was correct, they are of the family Mimidae.

Xenospiza · Jun 13, 2006

No, leaving the Mimidae as a separate family is not very elegant.
According to Zuccon, Cibois, Pasquet & Ericson, "Nuclear and mitochondrial sequence data reveal the major lineages of starlings, mynas and related taxa", Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution (in press), the Starlings (Sturnidae) are best treated as one family including Oxpeckers and Mockingbirds. The evidence of treating both as separate families is quite weak (but oxpeckers could be). The formerly enigmatic Philippine Creepers (Rhabdornis) are even "true starlings"!

Edward woodwood · Jun 13, 2006

Grousemore said:
Your info was correct, they are of the family Mimidae.

I think you both need an up-todate book Trev B

Tim

Grousemore · Jun 13, 2006

Tim Allwood said:
I think you both need an up-todate book Trev B

Tim

I was going by the AOU, what's your source?

Krispo · Jun 14, 2006

What the Fudge is a Seagull GTI?

Grousemore · Jun 14, 2006

Grousemore said:
I was going by the AOU, what's your source?

...still waiting for enlightenment; it was a serious question :h?:

Edward woodwood · Jun 14, 2006

Sibley and Monroe's DNA-DNA hybridisation work

or try Xenospiza's reference above

not all authorities originally went with S and M - the change was too drastic for most. E.g. New World Vultures closely related to Storks for example. OBC did and BirdLife too. Not all their work has met with universal approval but see above for most recent work on Sturnids

I never wait for enlightenment, i go out and find it.

Tim

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