Philippine creeper

{{Short description|Genus of birds}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| name = Philippine creepers

| image = 7575 Stripe-sided Rhabdornis 3.jpg

| image_caption = Stripe-headed rhabdornis (Rhabdornis mystacalis)

| taxon = Rhabdornis

| authority = Reichenbach, 1853

| type_species = Meliphaga mysticalis

| type_species_authority = Temminck, 1825

| display_parents = 2

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = Rhabdornis grandis

Rhabdornis inornatus

Rhabdornis mystacalis

Rhabdornis rabori

}}

The Philippine creepers or rhabdornises are small passerine birds and form the genus Rhabdornis. They are endemic to the Philippines. They do not migrate, other than to make local movements.

Taxonomy

The genus Rhabdornis was introduced in 1853 by German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach to accommodate the stripe-headed rhabdornis.{{ cite book | last=Reichenbach | first=Ludwig | author-link=Ludwig Reichenbach | year=1853 | chapter=Icones ad synopsin avium No. 11. Scansoriae B | title=Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie | language=German | publisher=Expedition Vollständigsten Naturgeschichte | location=Dresden und Leipzig | pages=219–316 [276] | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47722983 }} The name combines the Ancient Greek rhabdos meaning "stripe" with ornis meaning "bird."{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | page=333 }}

The relationship of the Philippine creepers to other bird species was formerly uncertain and the genus Rhabdornis was placed in its own family Rhabdornithinae.{{ cite book | editor-last=Paynter | editor-first=Raymond A. Jr | year=1986 | title=Check-List of Birds of the World | volume=12 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | location=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=161 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14482278 }}{{ cite book | editor-last1=Dickinson | editor-first1=E.C. | editor1-link=Edward C. Dickinson | editor-last2=Christidis | editor-first2=L. | editor2-link=Leslie Christidis | year=2014 | title=The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World | volume=2: Passerines | edition=4th | location=Eastbourne, UK | publisher=Aves Press | isbn=978-0-9568611-2-2 | page=579 }} Molecular phylogenetic studies have revealed that the Philippine creepers are aberrant members of the starling family Sturnidae.{{Cite journal | last1=Cibois | first1=Alice | last2=Cracraft | first2=Joel | date=2004 | title=Assessing the passerine "Tapestry": phylogenetic relationships of the Muscicapoidea inferred from nuclear DNA sequences | journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume=32 | issue=1 | pages=264–273 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2003.12.002 | doi-access=free| pmid=15186812 | bibcode=2004MolPE..32..264C }}{{Cite journal | last1=Lovette | first1=Irby J. | last2=Rubenstein | first2=Dustin R. | date=2007 | title=A comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the starlings (Aves: Sturnidae) and mockingbirds (Aves: Mimidae): Congruent mtDNA and nuclear trees for a cosmopolitan avian radiation | journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume=44 | issue=3 | pages=1031–1056 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2007.03.017 | pmid=17502157 | bibcode=2007MolPE..44.1031L }}{{Cite journal | last1=Zuccon | first1=D. | last2=Cibois | first2=A. | last3=Pasquet | first3=E. | last4=Ericson | first4=P.G.P. | date=2006 | title=Nuclear and mitochondrial sequence data reveal the major lineages of starlings, mynas and related taxa | journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume=41 | issue=2 | pages=333–344 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2006.05.007| pmid=16806992 | bibcode=2006MolPE..41..333Z }}

The genus contains four species:{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen | date=January 2021 | title=Nuthatches, Wallcreeper, treecreepers, mockingbirds, starlings, oxpeckers | work=IOC World Bird List Version 11.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/nuthatch/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=8 June 2021 }}

  • Stripe-headed rhabdornis, stripe-headed rhabdornis or stripe-sided rhabdornis, Rhabdornis mystacalis
  • Grand rhabdornis, long-billed rhabdornis or grand rhabdornis, Rhabdornis grandis
  • Stripe-breasted rhabdornis, plain-headed creeper or stripe-breasted rhabdornis, Rhabdornis inornatus
  • Visayan rhabdornis, Rhabdornis rabori{{Cite web|title=Species Updates – IOC World Bird List|url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/updates/species-updates/|access-date=2021-05-28|language=en-US}}

Description

The Philippine creepers are similar in appearance to treecreepers (Certhiidae). They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they can use to extricate insects from bark, but they have brush-like tongues, which enable them to also feed on nectar.

References

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