The call of green catbirds has been said to sound like a cat meowing or a human baby crying. They are mostly solitary birds except for living with their mate, they use primarily vocalizations to communicate with mates, although visual displays are part of the initial courtship.
Communication Channels: visual ; acoustic
Other Communication Modes: duets
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Green catbird populations are considered relatively large and stable. They are described as "common" in most of their range and have an estimated global range size of 20,000 to 50,000 km^2." Humans are the biggest threat to these birds due to the destruction of their habitat.
US Migratory Bird Act: no special status
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
Green catbirds may occasionally take cultivated fruits, although their impact is negligible.
Green catbirds eat some insects, which may be potential pests, and they aid in the dispersal and pollination of native plants.
Positive Impacts: controls pest population
Since green catbirds eat fruit, flowers, and other plant material, it is assumed that they aid in the dispersal of seeds and maybe even with the pollination of some plant species.
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds; pollinates
Green catbirds primarily eat fruits, flowers, and other plant material. During breeding season they often prey on the hatchlings of other birds or small reptiles to feed their young. Foraging is usually done in pairs or small family groups by moving from one tree to the next in the mid and upper canopy of the forest.
Animal Foods: birds; reptiles; insects
Plant Foods: leaves; fruit; flowers
Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore , Frugivore )
Green catbirds are found from south-eastern Queensland to southern New South Wales on the east coast of Australia.
Biogeographic Regions: australian (Native )
Green catbirds are found primarily in the rainforests of the tropical and subtropical regions of Australia. Occasionally they are also found in paperbark and adjacent eucalypt forests.
Habitat Regions: tropical
Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest
There is little available information for the lifespan and longevity of green catbirds in the wild and in captivity.
Green catbirds are rather large, stout birds weighing an average of 207 grams and having a length of approximately 28 cm. They have an overall color of emerald green with white spots and a dusky crown, nape and face with a red eye and a white bill. Juvenile green catbirds are a more dull green color. Spotted catbirds (Ailuroedus crassirostris melanotis) are a subspecies that differs in the faint black markings on the face and brighter green color. Green catbirds are sometimes confused with satin bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus), which are more olive green, have blue eyes, a darker bill, and more "scalloped patterning" on the underbody.
Average mass: 207 g.
Range length: 24 to 33 cm.
Average length: 28 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
There is little information on the predators of green catbirds, although it is likely that eggs and hatchlings are preyed on by nest predators. Green catbirds actively defend their territories and nests. They also use a broken wing display to distract potential predators from nests.
Like other bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchidae), male green catbirds attempt to attract mates by displaying colorful leaves, fruits, or flowers in their beaks. When a female comes close, the male chases her from branch to branch and makes a raspy clicking sound. If the female leaves, the male preens, feeds, and calls before once again displaying the leaves, fruits, or flowers. Once the female accepts the male, they are mated for life (monogamous). Even though green catbirds are bowerbirds, they do not build a bower as do other bowerbirds. Instead they build a nest that looks like a cup composed of leaves, twigs and vines. This nest is noted for the unusual layer of soft, wet wood beneath the lining of twigs and leaves which gives the nest its thick, heavy design. The nest is set in a tree fork, tree fern, low branches of trees, or in prickly shrubs.
Mating System: monogamous
Green catbirds are seasonal breeders with the average breeding season starting in September and going through the end of January. The average clutch size is two or three cream or olive colored eggs, which hatch after about 24 days of incubation. Fledging occurs about 22 days after hatching.
Breeding season: Breeding occurs from September to January.
Average eggs per season: 2.5.
Average time to hatching: 24 days.
Average fledging age: 22 days.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous
Only female green catbirds build the nest and incubate the eggs. After hatching both the male and female look after and feed the young. They also both defend the territory throughout the year. This territory is used for nesting and feeding.
Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female)
The green catbird (Ailuroedus crassirostris) is a species of bowerbird found in subtropical forests along the east coast of Australia, from southeastern Queensland to southern New South Wales. It is named after its distinctive call which sounds like a cat meowing, although it has also been mistaken for a crying child. The green catbird resembles the spotted catbird, which is found in wet tropical rainforests of Far North Queensland.
Green catbirds are a medium-sized stocky bird with long, powerful legs and a long, stout bill.[2] The back, wings and rump are brilliant emerald green, with very conspicuous pure white spots at the tips of the tertiaries and secondaries, which, on the tips of coverts, form two white wing-bars. The tail is brownish emerald with white tips. The head is greenish brown mottled black and finely flecked pale buff. The chest is greenish buff to dull emerald with distinctive short white streaks.[3]
The bill is horn coloured and the legs are greyish brown.[2]
The iris is bright red in direct sun with a partial white eye-ring.[3]
Male and female birds share similar plumage, making it very difficult to distinguish between the sexes. Juvenile birds also have similar plumage, although it is duller. Very young birds have fluffy grey down on their heads (Donaghey. R. 1996).[2]
The green catbird's call varies from a short, recognisable "heer-I-aar" to a long, drawn-out, quavering version: "heeeir-Ieee-aaa-aarr".[3]
According to The Field Guide to Australian Birds (Michael Morcombe, 2003) (2nd edition), green catbirds are found along the length of the east coast of NSW (in areas of suitable habitat) through to the Cooloola Coast in South East Queensland.
The birds are found in subtropical and temperate rainforest and paperbarks, and occasionally in adjacent eucalypt forest.
The average home range of the birds is five acres, although this is greatly reduced during breeding season. Breeding territories usually contain several fig trees which regularly produce large amounts of ripe fruit for several months which coincides with the catbird breeding season. Green catbirds drink and bath in pools of water that are found in the crevices of surrounding trees or water courses.[2]
Unlike other male bower birds, the male green catbird does not build a bower, however the male will clear an area from which he will perform and display to other females. Similar to other male bower birds, he will attempt to attract females by displaying colourful fruits, flowers and leaves in his beak.
Green catbirds are monogamous breeders. Once a female accepts a male they will mate for life. The pair bonding is maintained by the male feeding the female throughout the year, as well as by calls in duet.[3]
The breeding season is usually from October to January, although can be as early as September and as late as March. The nest is a large and bulky; built of large sticks bound with vine tendrils and with an inner lining of dry leaves. The nest interiors are noted for having an unusual layer of wet, soft decayed wood beneath the lining of fine twigs and leaves; adding to its overall large size relative to the size of the bird.[4]
The nest is placed in the dense crown of a low understorey tree where there are many twigs and stems to support its bulk, or in thorny or stinging trees, the crown of a tree fern, or in the upwardly cupped fronds of a bird's nest fern.[4]
The clutch typically consists of 2 - 3 eggs which are incubated by the female for 23 – 24 days.
The male assists in rearing the young through the 20 – 22 days to fledging.
No detailed studies have been undertaken on the longevity of the bird in the wild or in captivity, although the average lifespan in the wild is thought to be around eight years and one bird in captivity was known to have lived for at least fifteen years.[2]
Although usually seen individually, green catbirds typically socialize in pairs but can be seen in groups of 3–5 at the end of breeding season when their young are still somewhat dependent on their parents. Green catbirds do not flock but outside of breeding seasons it is not uncommon to see them in groups of around 20 birds all feeding in mutual territories, this is most common during winter fruiting seasons. Amongst these groups of green catbirds other species that can be found during these communal feeds are satin bowerbirds, regent bowerbirds and fig birds[5]
Green catbirds will constantly spend their time seeking out food sources both inside and outside their territories and fiercely defend food sources within their territory from other males and females. Patrolling their territory also makes up a large portion of their daily activity. They will be heard regularly calling but this is most common during breeding season, when predators are in the vicinity of nests and when engaging other birds in territorial battles.[2]
Green catbirds are classified as omnivorous but are mainly frugivorous (native, introduced or cultivated), feeding on figs and a variety of vegetable matter such as buds, shoots, flowers and seeds. Catbirds will also be seen in cultivated fruit orchards when their naturally occurring food sources become scarce. Their diet is also supplemented with insects such as grasshoppers, cicadas, beetles, millipedes and mites and small vertebrates such as tree frogs and hatchlings of smaller birds that inhabit their area.
Green catbirds forage in trees, active and wary, moving from limb to limb in the mid to upper strata as they forage.[3]
Although the green catbird is listed as Least Concern on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, it is listed as Vulnerable in NSW, which is the majority of its range.
Although it is widespread and common in its favoured habitat, ongoing clearing of rainforest and paperbark swamps for development is likely to continue to threaten the green catbird in the future.
The green catbird (Ailuroedus crassirostris) is a species of bowerbird found in subtropical forests along the east coast of Australia, from southeastern Queensland to southern New South Wales. It is named after its distinctive call which sounds like a cat meowing, although it has also been mistaken for a crying child. The green catbird resembles the spotted catbird, which is found in wet tropical rainforests of Far North Queensland.
