Long-billed white-eye

(Redirected from Rukia longirostra)

The long-billed white-eye (Rukia longirostra), known as tiht in Pohnpeian, is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to the island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia.

Long-billed white-eye
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Zosteropidae
Genus: Rukia
Species:
R. longirostra
Binomial name
Rukia longirostra

The long-billed white-eye seems quite distinct in both plumage, structure, and habits from the teardrop white-eye Rukia ruki – the type species of genus Rukia – and may deserve a change of genus, possibly to Zosterops like the olive-colored white-eye (Z.oleagineus, formerly Rukia oleaginea).

Ecology

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Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and plantations. It is considered near-threatened by habitat loss.

It has a curious nuthatch-like behavior of creeping along large tree limbs, and seems particularly specialized in using its long, slightly decurved bill to extract arthropods from the severed ends of branches.

References

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  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Rukia longirostra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22714271A94409249. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22714271A94409249.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.