The long-billed white-eye (Rukia longirostra), known as tihtinPohnpeian, is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to the island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia.
Long-billed white-eye | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Zosteropidae |
Genus: | Rukia |
Species: |
R. longirostra
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Binomial name | |
Rukia longirostra (Taka-Tsukasa & Yamashina, 1931) |
The long-billed white-eye seems quite distinct in both plumage, structure, and habits from the teardrop white-eye Rukia ruki – the type speciesofgenus Rukia – and may deserve a change of genus, possibly to Zosterops like the olive-colored white-eye (Z.oleagineus, formerly Rukia oleaginea).
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and plantations. It is considered near-threatenedbyhabitat loss.
It has a curious nuthatch-like behavior of creeping along large tree limbs, and seems particularly specialized in using its long, slightly decurved bill to extract arthropods from the severed ends of branches.
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