Hooded Pitohui

Hooded Pitohui (Pitohui dichrous) is the species of poisonous orioles found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, in this species is one of the few known poisonous birds, containing a range of batrachotoxin compounds in its skin, feathers and other tissues.

Etymology

Pitohui is a Papuan phrase meaning "rubbish bird," referring to the group's inedibility. It is also the name of the genus.

Physical Appearance

They were hooded pitohuis, little passerines with dark red eyes and a formidable beak that were black and orange in color. This songbird impersonation of some of these species has proved risky since the orange (blonde) and black feathers both contain beetle poisons. The hooded pitohui, on the other hand, is a case of Mullerian mimicry of Oriolid birds and convergent evolution.

Abilities

One argument in favor of the toxin acting as a defense against predators is the apparent Müllerian mimicry in some of the various unrelated pitohui species, which all have similar plumage. In 1990 scientists preparing the skins of the hooded pitohui for museum collections experienced numbness and burning when handling them. It was reported in 1992 that this species and some other pitohuis contained a neurotoxin called homobatrachotoxin, a derivative of batrachotoxin, in their tissues.

This made them the first documented poisonous birds, other than some reports of coturnism caused by consuming quail (although toxicity in quails is unusual), and the first bird discovered with toxins in the skin. The same toxin had previously been found only in Colombian poison dart frogs from the genus Phyllobates (family Dendrobatidae). The batrachotoxin family of compounds are the most toxic compounds by weight in nature, being 250 times more toxic than strychnine.

Ecology

Diet

The diet of the hooded pitohui is dominated by fruit, particularly figs of the genus Ficus, grass seeds, some insects and other invertebrates, and possibly small vertebrates. Among the invertebrates found in their diet are beetles, spiders, earwigs, bugs (Hemiptera, including the families Membracidae and Lygaeidae), flies (Diptera), caterpillars and ants.

Predators

There have also been experiments to test pitohui batrachotoxins on potential predators. They have been shown to irritate the buccal membranes of brown tree snakes and green tree pythons, both of which are avian predators in New Guinea. The unpalatability of the species is also known to local hunters, who otherwise hunt songbirds of the same size.

Breeding

Little is known about the breeding biology of the hooded pitohui and its relatives due to the difficulties of studying the species high in the canopy of New Guinea. Nests with eggs of the hooded pitohui have been found from October through to February. The nest that has been described was 2 m (7 ft) off the ground. The nest is a cup of vine tendrils, lined with finer vines and suspended on thin branches. Breeding them with seeds or insects.

Behavior

Hooded Pitohuis are friendly to humans, run away from attacks or use their toxic feathers for defense.

Distribution and Habitat

The hooded pitohui is endemic to the islands of New Guinea. It is found widely across the main island, and also on the nearby island of Yapen. It inhabits rainforest, forest edge habitats and secondary growth, and sometimes mangrove forests. It is most commonly found in hills and low mountains, between 350–1,700 m (1,150–5,580 ft), but is found locally down to sea-level and up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft).

Movement Pattern: Not a Migrant
Individual Type: Solo
Population Trend: Increasing
Population: ???
Locomotion: Airborne
Habitat: All
Earth: Indonesia; Papua New Guinea

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Lore

Project Pashneia, a scientific attempt by the Terran branch of Gods and Goddesses to create any creatures—animals, monsters, or humans—in terms of their own, produced the toxic gift known as the Hooded Pitohui.