Kingdom Animalia Class Aves Family Dicaeidae Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Order Passeriformes Genus Dicaeum | |
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Similar Grey‑sided flowerpecker, Red‑banded flowerpecker, Midget flowerpecker, Black‑belted flowerpecker, Whiskered flowerpecker | ||
The Wakatobi flowerpecker (Dicaeum kuehni) is a songbird that is endemic to the Wakatobi Islands of Indonesia. Prior to 2014, it was considered a subspecies of the grey-sided flowerpecker and called Dicaeum celebicum kuehni.
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Description
Wakatobi flowerpeckers exhibit sexual dimorphism. Males have dark gray feathers on the back and tail, white feathers on the belly, and red feathers on the chin. Females have medium gray feathers on the back and tail and light gray to white feathers on the belly and chin. Compared to the closely related grey-sided flowerpecker, the Wakatobi flowerpecker is significantly larger: it has longer wings, a longer bill, a longer skull, and is heavier. Additionally, there are subtle color variations: compared to the grey-sided flowerpecker, male Wakatobi flowerpeckers have bluer upper feathers, lighter side feathers, and their red coloring extends further down. For females there are no major color differences between the two species. The species feeds primarily on fruit.
The Wakatobi flowerpecker is endemic to the Wakatobi Islands of Indonesia, off the coast of Sulawesi. Although the area lies within Wakatobi National Park, there is currently no environmental protection, and scientists have expressed concern over its prospects given the rate of human development in the region.
Taxonomic history
Dicaeum kuehni was originally described as a species of flowerpecker in 1903 by Ernst Hartert, but, for reasons that are now unknown, it was reclassified as a subspecies of the grey-sided flowerpecker (Dicaeum celebicum), D. c. kuehni, shortly thereafter. New analysis in 2014 by Seán Kelly et al. returned the Wakatobi flowerpecker to its original classification as a distinct species after 100 years.
Both species live in the Sulawesi region of Indonesia. The grey-sided flowerpecker lives on the mainland, while the Wakatobi flowerpecker is found in the Wakatobi archipelago. In Kelly's study, 58 birds were captured and released from seven sites on Wakatobi between 1999 and 2012. DNA was extracted from the feathers and morphological measurements were made for each specimen. The DNA was then compared to numerous Dicaeum and Nectarinia samples in GenBank. Computer software was then used to generate a phylogenetic tree. Separate two-way ANOVA models were used to compare morphological traits including wing, tarsus, tail, skull, and bill size, as well as weight.
Based on the combined genetic, phylogenetic, and phenotypic analyses, the team determined the Wakatobi flowerpecker was a distinct species from the grey-sided flowerpecker. Additionally, genetic evidence shows the two species come from distinct genetic lines that have not interbred. This suggests that the birds do not traverse the 27 kilometres (17 mi) between the islands and mainland. The authors of the study suggested that there are probably more species waiting to be discovered in the region, since genetic analysis has generally not been done on specimens from that area.
The specific name commemorates Heinrich Kühn, a German bird collector who worked for Ernst Hartert in Indonesia.