Birds of paradise, biogeography and ecology in New Guinea: a review
Birds of paradise, biogeography and ecology in New Guinea: a review
Birds of paradise, biogeography and ecology in New Guinea: a review
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
914 M. Heads<br />
communities that are far more species-rich than is <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
realized. Lycocorax is found <strong>in</strong> mangroves (as illustrated by<br />
Cooper & Forshaw, 1977); Manucodia atra is recorded from<br />
mangroves; M. comrii, M. keraudrenii <strong>and</strong> Ptiloris magnificus<br />
(Vieillot) occasionally frequent mangroves, <strong>and</strong> P.<br />
victoriae Gould is recorded from the l<strong>and</strong>ward edge <strong>of</strong><br />
mangrove (Gilliard, 1969; Frith & Beehler, 1998). Seleucidis<br />
Lesson occurs <strong>in</strong> a range <strong>of</strong> lowl<strong>and</strong> forest types, but shows a<br />
particular af®nity for permanently or seasonally ¯ooded<br />
swamp forest <strong>of</strong>ten with p<strong>and</strong>anus <strong>and</strong> sago palm, <strong>and</strong> has<br />
also been observed <strong>in</strong> or near mangrove (Gilliard, 1969).<br />
Paradisaea raggiana has also been recorded call<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
mangroves (Frith & Beehler, 1998). In addition, Drepanornis<br />
bruijnii can be found with<strong>in</strong> a kilometre or two <strong>of</strong> the coast<br />
(Frith & Beehler, 1998) (possibly not actually on the coast),<br />
for example <strong>in</strong> limestone hills where it is more abundant<br />
than <strong>in</strong> a nearby site <strong>in</strong> lowl<strong>and</strong> alluvial forest.<br />
Like the birds <strong>of</strong> <strong>paradise</strong>, the bowerbirds also have their<br />
greatest diversity <strong>in</strong> <strong>New</strong> Gu<strong>in</strong>ea, are ma<strong>in</strong>ly forest birds,<br />
<strong>and</strong> are most diverse <strong>in</strong> the 1000±2000 m b<strong>and</strong> (twelve <strong>of</strong><br />
thirteen species) (Cooper & Forshaw, 1977). However,<br />
Ailuroedus crassirostris (Paykull) occurs <strong>in</strong> coastal<br />
scrub, Chlamydera cerv<strong>in</strong>iventris Gould is never far fom<br />
the coast, <strong>of</strong>ten close to beaches, swampl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> mangrove<br />
swamps, <strong>and</strong> C. nuchalis Jard<strong>in</strong>e & Selby is rarely found far<br />
from water, either freshwater or salt.<br />
Altitud<strong>in</strong>al `anomalies' <strong>in</strong> <strong>New</strong> Gu<strong>in</strong>ea<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> the most obvious ecological changes <strong>in</strong> mounta<strong>in</strong>ous<br />
areas are those associated with chang<strong>in</strong>g altitude.<br />
Diamond (1972) <strong>and</strong> Frith & Beehler (1998) suggested that<br />
sort<strong>in</strong>g by elevation is perhaps the most important ecological<br />
mechanism permitt<strong>in</strong>g the adaptive radiation <strong>of</strong> birds <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>paradise</strong>. The elevational distribution <strong>of</strong> the <strong>New</strong> Gu<strong>in</strong>ea<br />
birds is usually assumed to have been atta<strong>in</strong>ed, aga<strong>in</strong>, by<br />
dispersal, usually from a lower altitude centre <strong>of</strong> orig<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>to<br />
new, orig<strong>in</strong>ally sterile regions at higher altitudes. However,<br />
altitud<strong>in</strong>al `anomalies' <strong>in</strong> <strong>New</strong> Gu<strong>in</strong>ea birds have been noted<br />
by many ornithologists. Iredale (1950) described the altitud<strong>in</strong>al<br />
replacement <strong>of</strong> the paradisaeid genera, but noted that<br />
<strong>in</strong> addition a `locality factor' is present; related forms <strong>in</strong><br />
different parts <strong>of</strong> the isl<strong>and</strong> sometimes occur at different<br />
altitudes (cf. R<strong>and</strong> & Gilliard, 1967, p. 14).<br />
Under the head<strong>in</strong>g `Descent <strong>of</strong> mounta<strong>in</strong> birds to the<br />
lowl<strong>and</strong>s' R<strong>and</strong> & Brass (1940) wrote that `as with plants, a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> birds which over most <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> Gu<strong>in</strong>ea occur only<br />
<strong>in</strong> the mounta<strong>in</strong>s, such as Cleytoceyx rex <strong>and</strong> Diphyllodes<br />
(Cic<strong>in</strong>nurus) magni®cus, come to near sea level on the upper<br />
Fly River. The prevalence <strong>of</strong> mist <strong>and</strong> cloud conditions,<br />
lower<strong>in</strong>g the light <strong>in</strong>tensity, may have an effect <strong>in</strong> produc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the conditions recall<strong>in</strong>g cloud-shrouded mounta<strong>in</strong> forest.<br />
However, this will not apply to Myzomela nigrita <strong>and</strong><br />
Ailuroedus melanotis (sometimes <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> A. crassirostris)<br />
which reach the Wassi Kussa River (lower Fly), where<br />
relatively dry, bright conditions prevail much <strong>of</strong> the year'.<br />
(Ailuroedus crassirostris <strong>in</strong> south <strong>New</strong> Gu<strong>in</strong>ea is known only<br />
from sea-level, but `trapped' <strong>in</strong> the Snow Mounta<strong>in</strong>s it<br />
occurs from 810 to 1140 m). Likewise, the bowerbird<br />
Sericulus aureus is <strong>in</strong> the lowl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> foothills <strong>of</strong> the Fly<br />
Platform <strong>in</strong> the southern watershed, but <strong>in</strong> northern <strong>New</strong><br />
Gu<strong>in</strong>ea is con®ned to hill forest at 1000±1400 m (Pratt,<br />
1982; Beehler et al., 1986). Diamond (1972) listed the<br />
`enigmatic' distributions <strong>of</strong> twenty-®ve primarily montane<br />
species at or near sea-level at the Fly River mouth, <strong>and</strong> Pratt<br />
(1982) regarded these as `by far the most peculiar geographical<br />
problem <strong>of</strong> hill forest birds'.<br />
Karimui bas<strong>in</strong> (sometimes mapped as `Karimui Plateau')<br />
by Mount Karimui is another classic site <strong>of</strong> altitud<strong>in</strong>al<br />
`anomalies' (Diamond, 1972). It is a ¯at bas<strong>in</strong> about<br />
14 km wide at 1050 m altitude, largely sealed <strong>of</strong>f from the<br />
outside by a r<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> mounta<strong>in</strong>s. The avifauna is dist<strong>in</strong>ctive<br />
<strong>and</strong>, oddly, typical <strong>of</strong> the sea-level lowl<strong>and</strong>s rather than<br />
hill forest. It <strong>in</strong>cludes twenty-seven lowl<strong>and</strong> species (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Cic<strong>in</strong>nurus regius <strong>and</strong> Ailuroedus buccoides) whose<br />
altitud<strong>in</strong>al ceil<strong>in</strong>g elsewhere lies considerably below<br />
1050 m, <strong>and</strong> some <strong>of</strong> these are only known elsewhere<br />
from sea-level. The bas<strong>in</strong> avifauna is also noteworthy<br />
through the absence <strong>of</strong> some species usually found at this<br />
altitude, <strong>and</strong> by three strik<strong>in</strong>g, locally endemic forms. In<br />
seven cases an unexpected lowl<strong>and</strong> species that is present<br />
<strong>and</strong> an unexpectedly absent highl<strong>and</strong> species are successive<br />
members <strong>of</strong> an altitud<strong>in</strong>al sequence, so that the `wrong'<br />
member is present, for example A. buccoides is present<br />
<strong>in</strong>stead <strong>of</strong> A. crassirostris.<br />
Diamond expla<strong>in</strong>ed these phenomena as `ultimately due to<br />
the ¯atness <strong>of</strong> the bas<strong>in</strong> ¯oor' but Charmosyna placentis<br />
Temm<strong>in</strong>ck seems to contradict this ± it is normally at sealevel,<br />
but ranges beyond the bas<strong>in</strong> to 1425 m on Mount<br />
Karimui.<br />
Altitud<strong>in</strong>al `anomalies' are common <strong>in</strong> other parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong><br />
Gu<strong>in</strong>ea <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>clude the follow<strong>in</strong>g passer<strong>in</strong>es:<br />
Gerygone magnirostris Gould is usually <strong>in</strong> the lowl<strong>and</strong>s,<br />
but at Baiyer River near Mount Hagen it occurs at 1050 m,<br />
an altitud<strong>in</strong>al record for the species.<br />
Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham) is a widespread lowl<strong>and</strong><br />
species <strong>in</strong> <strong>New</strong> Gu<strong>in</strong>ea. It is also found <strong>in</strong> montane<br />
grassl<strong>and</strong>, but only from Eastern Highl<strong>and</strong>s Prov<strong>in</strong>ce west<br />
to Telefom<strong>in</strong> where it is ubiquitous. It is strangely absent <strong>in</strong><br />
the montane grassl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the Huon Pen<strong>in</strong>sula, SE <strong>New</strong><br />
Gu<strong>in</strong>ea <strong>and</strong> Irian Jaya.<br />
Pachycephala pectoralis (Latham) is widespread <strong>in</strong><br />
southern <strong>New</strong> Gu<strong>in</strong>ea <strong>and</strong> the Milne Bay Isl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>in</strong><br />
mangrove swamps <strong>and</strong> other coastal vegetation, but it is<br />
also present <strong>in</strong> Irian Jaya, trapped <strong>in</strong> the upper Balim<br />
Valley below Mount Wilhelm<strong>in</strong>a <strong>in</strong> dry mid-mounta<strong>in</strong><br />
forest at 1350±2310 m.<br />
Altitud<strong>in</strong>al anomalies are <strong>of</strong>ten associated with phylogenetic<br />
differentiation. Populations <strong>of</strong> Pachycephalopsis<br />
modesta (De Vis) at Mount Karimui, Mount Michael <strong>and</strong><br />
the Kubor Mounta<strong>in</strong>s occur at 1800±3300 m, but <strong>in</strong> SE <strong>New</strong><br />
Gu<strong>in</strong>ea other races descend to 1260 m (Owen Stanley<br />
Mounta<strong>in</strong>s) <strong>and</strong> 1050 m (Herzog Mounta<strong>in</strong>s).<br />
Myzomela erythrocephala Gould is restricted to mangrove<br />
swamps <strong>of</strong> northern Australia <strong>and</strong> southern <strong>New</strong> Gu<strong>in</strong>ea,<br />
but shows remarkable similarity <strong>in</strong> colour <strong>and</strong> pattern to the<br />
Ó Blackwell Science Ltd 2001, Journal <strong>of</strong> Biogeography, 28, 893±925