Appert's Tetraka

Taxobox
name = Appert's Tetraka
status = VU | status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = see text
genus = " Xanthomixis "
species = "X. apperti"
binomial = "Xanthomixis apperti"
binomial_authority = (Colston, 1972)
synonyms = "Phyllastrephus apperti"
"Bernieria apperti"

Appert's Tetraka or Appert's Greenbul ("Xanthomixis apperti") is a small passerine bird endemic to the south-west of Madagascar. The species was only described in 1972, and has been the subject of considerable taxonomic confusion. It was initially placed in the greenbul genus "Phyllastrephus", and later with the Old World warblers in the genus "Bernieria". Recent research indicates it is part of an endemic Malagasy radiation currently known as the Malagasy warblers (Cibois "et al." 2001).

The Appert's Tetraka is around 15 cm long with a pink bill and grey legs. The plumage of the sexes is similar; the back, tail and wings are green (the wings being a darker shade), the head grey and the throat white. The flanks and belly are washed orange and the undersides are white. The species is highly terrestrial, feeding in undisturbed forest in shrubs near the ground and on the ground. Family groups of up to 8 birds, sometimes in association with other species, forage on insects gleaned from under leaves and branches.

The Appert's Tetraka is currently restricted to two known locations in south-west Madagascar. One is the dry deciduous forest at Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park (where the species was first discovered) and a second population in montane evergreen forest at Analavelona Classified Forest. The species is considered vulnerable due to its restricted range, particularly to habitat loss due to forest clearance. At present the Zombitse-Vohibasia forest is the subject of conservation projects that have stopped deforestation, and the Analavelona Classified Forest, while not protected, is remote and not under immediate threat.

References

*Cibois, Alice; Slikas, Beth; Schulenberg, Thomas S. & Pasquet, Eric (2001): An endemic radiation of Malagasy songbirds is revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequence data. "Evolution" 55(6): 1198-1206. DOI:10.1554/0014-3820(2001)055 [1198:AEROMS] 2.0.CO;2 [http://www.molecularevolution.org/resources/references/files/cibois_et_al_2001.pdf PDF fulltext]
*BirdLife International (2006) [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=7262&m=0 Species factsheet: "Bernieria apperti".] Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 12/5/2007