Alternative name: Large-billed Catbird
- Ailuroedus crassirostris
Identification
31cm (12¼ in)
- Mostly green plumage
- Conspicious white patch on lower neck
- Blackish feather tips give a smudged finely spotted appearance to head
- Tail, greater coverts and secondaries finely tipped white
- Paler, more yellowish-green breast with broad whitish spots
- Pearly whitish bill
- Deep blood-red eye
Sexes similar, females slightly smaller.
Similar species
Spotted Catbird has dark head markings and a paler bill.
Distribution
Queensland to New South Wales in Australia.
Fairly common where extensive habitat remains.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1]. The subspecies joanae and maculosus of Spotted Catbird are sometimes assigned to this species.
Sometimes considered conspecific with Spotted Catbird, but new studies support the split.
Habitat
Subtropical forest, also eucalypt forest, gardens and orchards. Often near watercourses, especially when breeding. Occurs from sea-level up to 1000m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds mostly on fruits. Takes also flowers, leaves, succulent stems, arthropods and sometimes tree-frogs or nestling birds.
Known to cache fruits for later. Forages singly, in pairs, small groups or mixed-species flocks with other bowerbirds.
Breeding
Breeding season from September to March, peak in October to December. A monogamous species. The nest is a large, open cup made of sticks and twigs. It's placed 2 - 18m above the ground in a tree fork or in vine tangles or epiphytic ferns. Lays 1 - 3 eggs.
Movements
A resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
- Simpson, K and N Day. 1998. Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-7136-4877-5
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Green Catbird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Green_Catbird
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
