Ailuroedus

Ailuroedus is a genus of birds in the bowerbird family, Ptilonorhynchidae, native to forests in Australia and New Guinea. The common name, catbird, refers to these species' "wailing cat-like calls".^[1] The scientific name Ailuroedus is derived from the Greek 'ailouros', meaning cat, and 'eidos', referring to form (or perhaps from oaidos, singer).

Ailuroedus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Ptilonorhynchidae
Genus:	Ailuroedus Cabanis, 1851
Type species
Ptilonorhynchus smithii Vigors & Horsfield, 1827=Lanius crassirostris Paykull, 1815
Species
see text

Taxonomy

The genus Ailuroedus was introduced in 1851 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis to accommodate a single species, Ptilonorhynchus smithii Vigors and Horsfield.^[2] This is a junior synonym of Lanius crassirostris Paykull, 1815, the green catbird.^[3] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek αιλουρος/ailouros meaning "cat" with αοιδος/aoidos or ωδος/ōdos meaning "singer".^[4]

Traditionally, the Ailuroedus catbirds were classified as three species. However, a 2015 phylogenetic and morphological article by Martin Irestedt and collaborators revealed seven new species, leading to a total of ten distinct species.^[5] In the same study, the results confirmed that the catbirds are divided into two major clades, a lowland group consisting of the New Guinean white-eared catbird, and a mid-mountain clade including the black-eared catbird and the Australian green catbird.^[5]

Spotted catbird, Queensland.

Species

The genus contains ten species:^[6]

• Ochre-breasted catbird (Ailuroedus stonii)
• White-eared catbird (Ailuroedus buccoides)
• Tan-capped catbird (Ailuroedus geislerorum)
• Green catbird (Ailuroedus crassirostris)
• Spotted catbird (Ailuroedus maculosus)
• Huon catbird (Ailuroedus astigmaticus)
• Black-capped catbird (Ailuroedus melanocephalus)
• Northern catbird (Ailuroedus jobiensis)
• Arfak catbird (Ailuroedus arfakianus)
• Black-eared catbird (Ailuroedus melanotis)

Description

Catbirds are characterize by ivory-colored bill with the hooked maxilla, large head, green dorsal plumage, ventral spotting, powerful grasping claws and fig-eating habit.^[7]

In contrast to the other genera within the Ptilonorhynchidae family, all of the Ailuroedus catbirds lack marked sexual dimorphism, are pair bonded, monogamous breeders, with both parents caring for the offspring.^[1][8] They form pair bonds in which the male helps to build the nest, and have simple arboreal chasing displays, without bowers or stages.^[8]