Derivation
Sphëc-o-ther'-es - Gk, sphex, sphecos, wasp; Gk, theras, I hunt: vi&ruml;i'-dis - L., green
Habitat
Mainly in and at the edges of rainforests, including monsoon forest, vine forest and thickets, and subtropical rainforests, with fruiting trees.
Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres) [XC502139]
by James Lambert from Batchelor, Coomalie Shire, Northern Territory, Australia (call)
Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti) [XC674452]
by James Lambert from Moth Block (Casuarina Coastal Reserve Land Care Group) (near Tiwi), Darwin Municipality, Northern Territory, Australia (song)
Nest
Open, shallow, composed of vine-tendrils and twigs, built into the forked leafy twigs of an outer branch of a tree, at heights up to 25 m above the ground.
Eggs (Guide)
3; shades of dull green, with brown and purple spots; oval; 32 x 24 mm. Incubation: about 16 - 17 days; by both sexes.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 15 - 17 days.
Subspecies
Sphecotheres vieilloti (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Southern Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti) and Timor Figbird (Sphecotheres viridis) (which includes flaviventris) following Andrew (1992).
Has sometimes been considered conspecific with Timor Figbird (Sphecotheres viridis) and Wetar Figbird (Sphecotheres hypoleucus). Moreover, subspecies flaviventris has been treated as a separate species, but hybridizes widely with nominate in eastern Queensland.
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
cucullatus (von Rosenberg, HKB, 1866) - Kai Is (off south-western New Guinea).
salvadorii Sharpe, 1877 - South-eastern New Guinea.
ashbyi Mathews, 1912 - Northern Australia (northern western Australia and northern Northern Territory).
flaviventris Gould, 1850 - Islands in Torres Strait and north-eastern Australia (Cape York and north-eastern Queensland).
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet