Southern variable pitohui

The southern variable pitohui (Pitohui uropygialis) is a species of pitohui in the family Oriolidae. It is found on New Guinea and neighbouring islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is also one of the few known poisonous birds, it carries the toxic compound homobatrachotoxins in its feathers and skin.

Southern variable pitohui
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Oriolidae
Genus:	Pitohui
Species:	P. uropygialis
Binomial name
Pitohui uropygialis (Gray, GR, 1862)
Synonyms
Rectes uropygialis

Taxonomy and systematics

This species was split from the northern variable pitohui in 2013.^[2]

Subspecies

Five subspecies are recognized:^[3]

• P. u. uropygialis - (Gray, GR, 1862): Found on Salawati and Misool Islands (western Papuan Islands) and western Vogelkop (north-western New Guinea)
• P. u. brunneiceps - (D'Albertis & Salvadori, 1879): Originally described as a separate species. Found from Gulf of Papua to Fly River (southern New Guinea)
• P. u. nigripectus - van Oort, 1909: Found from Mimika River to Pulau River (southern New Guinea)
• P. u. aruensis - (Sharpe, 1877): Originally described as a separate species. Found on Aru Islands (off south-western New Guinea)
• P. u. meridionalis - (Sharpe, 1888): Originally described as a separate species. Found in south-eastern New Guinea