Figbirds (Sphecotheres viridis)
Orioles
The Figbird (Sphecotheres viridis) is a conspicuous and very common medium-sized passerine bird native to Indonesia, New Guinea, northern and eastern Australia, and the islands nearby.
Unlike most orioles, Figbirds are gregarious, forming flocks of 20 to 40 birds during the non-breeding season, and breeding in small colonies, often making with a number of nests in a small area.
Description:
Juvenile and female Figbirds are drab coloured, looking rather like Olive-backed Orioles, but the males have conspicuous bright green or yellow plumage and an unmistakable parch of bare red skin around the eye. In the southern part of their range—from around Sydney north to about Proserpine—male Figbirds are a rather bright olive-green, becoming brighter and more yellow further north, culminating with the birds of the tropical north, which are almost pure golden-yellow.
Calls / Vocalization:
Figbirds make a remarkable number of different short calls.
Taxonomy:
Some classifications split this bird into three species:
- the Wetar Figbird Sphecotheres hypoleucus,
- the Timor Figbird Sphecotheres viridis and
- the Figbird Sphecotheres vieilloti.
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