Avifauna of the Adelbert Mountains, New Guinea: why is Fire-maned Bowerbird Sericulus bakeri the mountains’ only endemic bird species?
Author
Diamond, Jared
Author
Bishop, K. David
text
Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club
2021
2021-03-09
141
1
75
108
journal article
299726
10.25226/bboc.v141i1.2021.a8
7017e380-8cb6-45cd-827d-bafef651a69e
2513-9894
12733989
6D2353AF-B244-409B-AF02-944A06062AE
MOUNTAIN OWLET-NIGHTJAR
Aegotheles albertisi
We tape-recorded its call at night at
1,655 m
above Munggur: a squeaky short upslurred noteȱ repeatedȱ atȱ aȱ rateȱ ofȱ sixȱ notesȱ perȱ fiveȱ seconds,ȱ withȱ aȱ qualityȱ similarȱ toȱ theȱ barkȱ ofȱ a small dog. Our recording is identical to those of
A. albertisi
from the Kumawa Mts. and
Hela Province
. We also taped the similar-sized Barred Owlet-nightjar
A. bennettii
at lower elevations.ȱ Bothȱ speciesȱ areȱ firstȱ recordsȱ forȱ theȱ Adelberts.ȱ Inȱ theȱ Adelberts,ȱ Prattȱ (1982)ȱ collected their larger congener Feline Owlet-nightjar
A. insignis
, double their mass, at an elevation (
1,500 m
) similar to
A. albertisi
. Munggur villagers are familiar, using the local name ‘dalek’, with the distinctive three-note angry-cat call of
A. insignis
. Hence
A. albertisi
and
A. insignis
are now known to co-exist at similar elevations on at least seven of New Guinea’s outlying ranges, as well as the Central Range. Their ability to co-exist may be due toȱecologicalȱconsequencesȱofȱtheirȱsizeȱdifference.