PARDALOTES: Pardalotidae

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Pardalotes (PAR-dah-lohts) are small- to medium-sized birds, with some species being very small in size. They are fairly bright colored, beautiful birds. Pardalotes have a short and plump body; a short, stumpy, scoop-shaped black bill; a short tail; nine long, stiff primary feathers (with a tenth feather barely visible), nine secondary feathers (with some species having a tenth shortened one); short pointed wings; and strong legs and feet. All species have brightly colored plumage (feathers), with many combinations including yellow, brown, and black colorings and white spots or streaking. The color combination is often called "sparkling," which has given them the popular name "diamond bird." Their backs are slate to olive, while the head and wings are black with white spots or stripes and with patches of bright yellow or orange. Females are duller in color than males in some species. They are 3 to 5 inches (8 to 12 centimeters) long, and weigh between 0.3 and 0.5 ounces (8 to 13 grams).

GEOGRAPHIC RANGE

Pardalotes are found only on the continent of Australia.

HABITAT

Pardalotes inhabit areas of woodlands and forests, mostly living alongside eucalyptus (yoo-kah-LIP-tus; tall, aromatic trees) and acacia (uh-KAY-shah; flowering trees). They range from the wet coasts to the arid interior of the continent, missing only from certain small areas of the southern desert.

DIET

The diet of pardalotes consists of a wide variety of small, soft-bodied invertebrates (animals without a backbone), including small wasps, spiders, weevils (a destructive beetle with a snout), and termites. They also eat lerps (sugary lumps of secretions made by a particular insect). Pardalotes move quickly around the outer parts of foliage in search of prey from leaves and twigs, which they pick up with their scoop-shaped bills. They frequently hang upside down when foraging. They are not restricted to tree trunks or cones in their foraging, but roam throughout the foliage.

BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTION

Pardolotes spend most of their time high in the outer foliage of trees, feeding mostly on lerps, as well as insects and spiders. Their feeding on lerp infestations in eucalyptus forests is significant to maintaining the health of the forest ecosystem. They nest in pairs, only combining in groups during winters, migrations, and after breeding periods. They sometimes come together into flocks after the breeding season. Several species are migratory and make large seasonal movements. They often forage in flocks of several species during the winter. When feeding, they make clicking sounds from their bills while removing lerps from the foliage.

Female and male partners defend their nesting territories with two- to five-note whistles that are also repeated over and over again. Breeding partners mate for life (that is, they are monogamous [muh-NAH-guh-mus]). Nests are built in shapes of cups, sometimes with domes on top. Nests are usually built in hollows or burrows. Deep horizontal tunnels that lead to the nests are burrowed into earthen banks or horizontally into the ground, and are usually dug 16 to 28 inches (40 to 70 centimeters) long. At other times, nests are made in tree hollows. The external size of the nest is usually no bigger than a mouse hole, but the tunnel can be up to 3 feet (1 meter) in length. The nests are made with various plant fibers. Females lay three to five eggs that are 0.6 by 0.5 inches to 0.7 by 0.6 inches (1.6 by 1.3 centimeters to 1.9 by 1.5 centimeters). The incubation period (time necessary to sit on eggs before hatching) is fourteen to sixteen days, while the nestling period (time necessary to take care of young birds unable to leave the nest) is about twenty-five days.

PARDOLOTES AND PEOPLE

People and pardolotes have no special relationship between them.

CONSERVATION STATUS

The forty-spotted pardalote is Endangered, facing a very high risk of extinction. The species has been studied in great detail with regards to a detailed plan to increase its numbers that are confined to southeastern Tasmania. Other species of pardolotes are widely spread around and are not considered threatened. Their primary threats are from land clearing, overgrazing, and degradation and fragmentation of habitat.

STRIATED PARDALOTE (Pardalotus striatus): SPECIES ACCOUNT

Physical characteristics: Striated pardalotes are the largest of the pardalotes. They are small, brightly colored birds that are easily identified by the bright yellow patch above the eyes. They have considerable variation in plumage characteristics across the geographical range of their species. All birds have white eyebrows, olive-gray backs, and a white stripe on the wings. In different parts of the country, the wing stripe may be narrower or wider, the colored spot at the front end of this stripe may be red or yellow, and the black crown (top part of the head) may have narrow white stripes. Both male and female are similar in plumage. They are 3.5 to 4.5 inches (9.0 to 11.5 centimeters) long and weigh about 0.42 ounces (12 grams). Females and males are similar in plumage, but juveniles are much paler, particularly on the crown and face.

Geographic range: Striated pardalotes are located throughout Australia except for desert sections of the interior of the country. Like other species of pardalotes, they are found only in Australia.

Habitat: Striated pardalotes are found in almost every territorial habitat that contains trees or shrubs. They are widely distributed through woodlands and forests filled with eucalyptus, but are also found in rainforests and mangroves (tropical evergreen trees of tidal coasts). They often are found near and about water courses.

Diet: Striated pardalotes eat a number of invertebrates, including insects (and their larvae [LAR-vee; active immature insects]) that they pick from the surfaces of foliage in the tops of trees, such as outer twigs and leaves, mostly from eucalyptus and acacia trees. They sometimes come close to the ground and feed among low shrubs. Feeding takes place in small groups, with the birds maintaining contact with each other with soft sounding trills.

Behavior and reproduction: Striated pardalotes are very active and curious in their overall behavior. They form flocks of birds during winter. Some species are nomadic or migratory, while others tend to be sedentary (tending not to migrate). They do not defend their breeding territory, except for the immediate area surrounding the nest. They are loud sounding birds with a repetitious two- to three-note call, such as the "tchip tchip." When not breeding, the birds form flocks that feed together. While feeding they utter constant, short calls.

The breeding season takes place between the months of June and January. They form breeding pairs or small groups of up to six birds. Striated pardalotes build nests close to the ground, often in earthen burrows, or in tree hollows or tunnels. They sometimes use artificial objects built by people for their nests. The completed nests are cup-shaped, either partially or completely domed. They are made with plant fibers, such as tree bark and grass, and lined with finer materials. Nests are located at the end of a tunnel, or in a tree hollow. The birds appear regularly at the entrance to the nest, aggressively guarding the area around the nest from other pardalotes and predators. Females usually lay three to five white eggs, which are incubated by both the male and female of breeding pair. Other members of the breeding group also help with feeding the young.

Striated pardalotes and people: People and striated pardalotes have no special relationship between them.

Conservation status: Striated pardalotes are not threatened, being plentiful in a broad range of environments and across a wide geographic area. ∎

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Books:

del Hoyo, Josep, Andrew Elliott, Jordi Sargatal, Jose Cabot, et al., eds. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, 1992.

Dickinson, Edward C., ed. The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World, 3rd ed. Princeton, NJ and Oxford, U.K.: Princeton University Press, 2003.

Forshaw, Joseph, ed. Encyclopedia of Birds, 2nd ed. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 1998.

Harrison, Colin James Oliver. Birds of the World. London and New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1993.

Perrins, Christopher M., and Alex L. A. Middleton, eds. The Encyclopedia of Birds. New York: Facts on File, 1985.

Pizzey, Graham. Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Sydney, Australia: Angus and Robertson, 1997.