Bird Watching Blog

Redbrowed pardalote

Pardalotus rubricatus

TAXONOMY

Pardalotus rubricatus Gould, 1838, Australia. Two subspecies. OTHER COMMON NAMES

English: Fawn-eyed diamond bird; French: Pardalote a sourcils rouge; German: Rotbrauen-Panthervogel; Spanish: Pardalote de Cejas Rojas.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

3.9 in (10 cm) 0.32-0.39 oz (9-11 g). Sexes similar in plumage; immature birds are drab pale-olive above, light gray below.

DISTRIBUTION

Arid areas across most of northern and central Australia. P. r. yorki confined to Cape York Peninsula.

HABITAT

Eucalypts and acacias in drier woodlands, forest, and scrub. Frequent eucalypts along river beds.

BEHAVIOR

Often found with other pardalote species; often feeds in trees with sparse vegetation. Distinctive five-note call.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Gleans a broad spectrum of invertebrates from foliage and twigs of primarily eucalypts.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Cup-shaped nest of plant fibers lined with grass at end of 1.6-2.3 ft (50-70 cm) burrow. Clutch two to four white eggs.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Populations widespread and currently not threatened. Overgrazing and habitat alteration pose potential threats.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS None known. ♦