The Polynesian triller (Lalage maculosa) is a passerine bird belonging to the triller genus Lalage in the cuckoo-shrike family Campephagidae. It has numerous subspecies distributed across the islands of the south-west Pacific.
| Polynesian triller | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Campephagidae |
| Genus: | Lalage |
| Species: | L. maculosa
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| Binomial name | |
| Lalage maculosa (Peale, 1849)
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Geographic range of the Polynesian triller
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It is 15 to 16 cm long. The plumage varies geographically; some populations are contrastingly black and white while others have more grey or brown coloration.
It is a noisy bird with a nasal, rasping call. The song is short and high-pitched.
The breeding range extends through Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu and the Santa Cruz Islands. It occurs in a wide variety of habitats including man-made habitats such as plantations and gardens. It feeds on insects such as caterpillars and also feeds on fruit.
The cup-shaped nest is placed in the fork of a tree branch. One or two eggs are laid; these are greenish with brown blotches.
Gallery
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Subspecies L.m. pumila, Abaca, Viti Levu, Fiji Isles -
Subspecies L.m. woodi, Savusavu, Vanua Levu, Fiji Isles -
Subspecies L.m. woodi, Matei, Taveuni, Fiji Isles -
Unknown subspecies, Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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Notes
edit- ^ BirdLife International (2017). "Lalage maculosa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22706681A118730666. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22706681A118730666.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
References
edit- Bregulla, Heinrich L. (1992) Birds of Vanuatu, Anthony Nelson, Oswestry, England.
- Pratt, H. Douglas; Bruner, Philip L. & Berrett, Delwyn G. (1987), A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific, Princeton University Press, Chichester.