Long-billed white-eye

The long-billed white-eye (Rukia longirostra) 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
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Zosteropidae
Genus: Rukia
Species:
R. longirostra
Binomial name
Rukia longirostra
(Taka-Tsukasa & Yamashina, 1931)

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat 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.

Long-billed white-eye seems quite distinct in both plumage, structure, and habits from other Rukia and may deserve a change of genus, possibly to Zosterops.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Rukia longirostra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)


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