Tooth-billed Catbird

Taxobox
name = Tooth-billed Catbird
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1

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image_width = 225px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = Ptilonorhynchidae
genus = "Scenopoeetes"
genus_authority = Coues, 1891
species = "S. dentirostris"
binomial = "Scenopoeetes dentirostris"
binomial_authority = (Ramsay, 1876)The Tooth-billed Catbird, "Scenopoeetes dentirostris" also known as Stagemaker Bowerbird is a medium-sized, approximately 27cm long, stocky olive-brown bowerbird with brown-streaked buffish-white below, a grey feet, brown iris and unique tooth-like bill. Both sexes are similar, however the female is slightly smaller than the male. It is the only member in monotypic genus "Scenopoeetes".An Australian endemic, the Tooth-billed Catbird is distributed to mountain forests of northeast Queensland. Its diet consists mainly of fruits and young leaves of forest trees.

The male is polygamous and builds a display-court or "stage-type bower", decorated with fresh green leaves laid with pale underside uppermost. The leaves are collected by the male by chewing through the leaf stalk and old leaves are removed from the display-court. The display-court consists of a cleared area containing at least one tree trunk used by the male for perching. Upon the approach of a female the male drops to the ground and displays.

A common species in its limited habitat range, the Tooth-billed Catbird is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

References

* Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
* Pizzey, G and Knight, F. (1997). "The Field Guide to Birds of Australia". Angus and Robertson. Sydney.

External links

* [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=5168&m=0 BirdLife Species Factsheet]
* [http://www.redlist.org/search/details.php?species=46870 IUCN Red List]