Kinglet calyptura

Kinglet Calyptura
Kinglet Calyptura illustrated by William John Swainson
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Incertae sedis
Genus:	Calyptura Swainson, 1832
Species:	C. cristata
Binomial name
Calyptura cristata (Vieillot, 1818)
Synonyms
Pardalotus cristatus Viellot, 1818

The Kinglet Calyptura (Calyptura cristata) is a small passerine bird. It is the only member of the genus Calyptura. It has traditionally been considered a member of the family Cotingidae, but following the move of several species from this family to Tityridae—including the purpletufts which traditionally are considered allied to the Kinglet Calyptura—the family placement is unclear. It is therefore considered incertae sedis by SACC.

It is endemic to Atlantic forest in south-eastern Brazil. For a long time this species was feared to be extinct, as it went unrecorded during the 20th century until two birds were observed in Serra dos Órgãos on several days in October 1996. Since these sightings, there have not been any confirmed records, although at least one recent—but unconfirmed—record exists from near Ubatuba. Consequently, it is considered Critically Endangered by BirdLife International.

General information

Pardalotus cristatus illustrated by Georges Cuvier

The Kinglet Calyptura is a bird from South American and known only from specimens dating back to the 19th Century. It was placed in the Cotingidae, but is more closely related to the Platyrinchus and Neopipo. These genre also help make up the Rhynchocyclidae (tody-tyrants and flatbills) and Tryannidae (typical tyrant flycatchers). Its taxonomic history is almost non existent because there is not much behavioral and anatomical data to study. Habitat loss is most likely to have caused its endangerment, but altitudinal migration and specialization could have also played a role. It seems to inhabit higher and wider places with its main food resource being insects, seeds and berries. Instead of remaining high in the trees, it tends to travel through the shrubberies on the ground. There are also no remnants of its skeleton stored anywhere. It is currently considered an endangered species by the BirdLife International.( Ohlson)

Threats to environment and recent sightings

It is endemic to Atlantic forest in south-eastern Brazil, which has seen heavy rise in deforestation and pollution due to industrialization of the country. From the Kinglet Calyputra’s earliest documentations in the 19th Century and fossil evidence from the early 20th Century, there is no reason to believe that it was not uncommon to encounter the bird in the wild (BirdLife International). For a long time this species was feared to be extinct, with threats to the environment doing little to quell those fears. Projects in the 1970s, including the construction of a bridge connecting the area to Rio De Janerio, have resulted in high amounts of toxic metals such as lead, zinc and copper in this bird’s habitat (Neto, Smith, McAllister). Lambert and Kirwan maintain that the lack of sightings is primarily due to the fact that researchers simply cannot explore high areas of the rainforest because they are inaccessible to humans. Contradicting this is the fact that deforestation in Brazil has led to the displacement of as many as 93% of Atlantic birds situated there (Loiselle, Graham, Goerck, Ribeiro). With those numbers in mind, there is no more reason to speculate that the species may be extinct or may have completely relocated to an unknown location. Sightings of the species have been sporadic, with the last official sighting of the bird in Serra dos Orgaos for several days in October 1996. Since these sightings, there have not been any confirmed records, although at least one recent-but unconfirmed- record exists from near Ubatuba. Consequently, it is considered Critically Endangered

Habitat

Because of the minimal amount of sightings of this bird, a lot of the information about their habitat is circumstantial. Not much is known about Kinglet Calptura’s altitude preferences or what it required to survive. It has been hypothesized by BirdLife International that these birds are altitudinal migrants. This migration is a necessity for the birds eating habits. The Kinglet Calptura eats both fruits and arthropods(Lambert). This bird can tolerate secondary forest but it is usually restricted to foothill forest. The few birds that remain alive are located in Brazil near Rio de Janeiro.

References

Cited texts

• Snow, David (1982). The Cotingas: Bellbirds, Umbrellabirds, and Other Species. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-1490-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Guy, Kirwan M. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, Rep. N.p: Wilson Ornithological Society, 120(4)”923-925.2008.Aves Brasileiras E Plantas Que as Atraem [Brazilian Birds and Plants That Attract Them].
• “Calyptura Cristata.” (Kinglet Calyptura, Kinglet Cotinga). N.p,.n.d. Web 26 October. 2012. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/summary/106004493/0.
• Lambert, Frank, and Buy M. Kirwan. “The Twice-vanishing ‘paradalote’:what future for the Kinglet Calyptura?,”http://www.freewebs.com/guykirwan/NB6-F-Lambert&Kirwan.pdf. N.p. Web 23 Oct 2012.
• Loiselle, B.A., Graham, C.H. Goerck, J.M. and Ribeirto, M.C. (2010), Assessing the impact of deforestation and climate change on the range size and environmental niche of bird species in the Atlantic forests, Brazil. Journal of Biogeography, 37:1288-1301. doi:10.1111/j.1256-2699.2010.02285.x
• Ohlson, Jan I. &et al. “Nuclear DNA from a 180-year-old Study Skin Reveals the Phylogenetic Position of the Kinglet Calyptura Calyptura Cristata (Passeriformes: Tyrannidies). “The International Journal of Avian Science (2012):533-41. Web.

External links

• BirdLife Species Factsheet.