Fam. IV. Timeliidae.–In this Old World assemblage are included by Dr. Sharpe[[281]] many genera rather referable to the Turdidae, Pycnonotidae, Troglodytidae, and Paradiseidae; but the Family may be taken to contain most of that author's Crateropodes and Timeliae,[[282]] the Tit-like Liotriches, and perhaps Clitonyx, Chaetobias, and Myiophoneus. The whole question, however, is very doubtful, and no decision can yet be arrived at. The supposed diagnostic points are the rounded wings curved to fit the body, the lax, soft plumage, the comparatively large outer primary, the similarity of the unspotted females and young, and the Thrush-like bill. This bill, however, may be very strong and hooked, as in Myiophoneus and Gampsorhynchus; stout, deep, and wide, with festooned maxilla, as in Paradoxornis; similar but smaller, as in Chleuasicus and Suthora; short and blunt, as in several of the Liotriches; extremely elongated, slender and decurved, as in Pomatorhinus; or extraordinarily so, as in Xiphorhamphus. It is not infrequently notched. The metatarsi are typically strong or even clumsy, and vary considerably in length; in Liothrix, however, they are slender; while Cholornis has only two anterior toes (p. [10]). The tail, often broad and much graduated, may be very long, as in Sibia, or no longer than the upper coverts, as in Oligura; the rectrices being obliquely truncated in Siva, curved outwardly in Liothrix, and frequently pointed or somewhat spiny. Elongated rictal bristles are not uncommon; several species have crests, that of Grammatoptila being exceptionally large; rigid shafts occur in the head- and mantle-feathers of Acanthoptila, on the forehead in Dumetia, Timelia, and Chaetops; hair-like plumes decorate the back of Macronus; the inner secondaries are much produced in Cinclorhamphus; the cheeks are bare in Aethocichla.
The sexes are commonly alike, the plain rufous coloration being often relieved by black, white, and grey; Liothrix and Clitonyx, however, shew tints of red or yellow; Myiophoneus of purple, blue, and black, and in some cases maroon; Brachypteryx of indigo. Hyperergus is partly olive-green, while Trochalopterum chrysopterum and T. phoeniceum exhibit respectively golden and crimson hues, not to mention other instances.
Many of the forms are found from the Indian Region to New Guinea, New Caledonia, and New Britain, one reaching Fiji and two New Zealand; others occur in the Ethiopian countries, whence a species of Argya extends to Morocco and Tripoli, and a second to Arabia and the Jordan. Crossleyia, Bernieria, Mystacornis, Xanthomixis and Oxylabes are peculiar to Madagascar.
Fig. 109.–"Babbling Thrush." Timelia maculata. × 5⁄11.
Most members of the Family inhabit woods near water with thick undergrowth, or more rarely stony hills, scrubby gullies, and rocky torrents; Cinclorhamphus haunts grassy plains; Crateropus kirki prefers reeds. The majority are decidedly terrestrial, skulking warily among the bushes and grass, either singly or in small companies, while some are inquisitive and active. The flight is low, short, undulating, and laboured; but the birds hop and climb well, bounding over the ground or clinging to the trees. The Japanese and Chinese "Hill-Robin" (Liothrix lutea) and its allies are more arboreal, as are Paradoxornis, Suthora, and so forth. Orthonyx is said to dance like a Lyre-bird (p. [493]). Many species scratch up the soil or dead leaves in search of insects and their larvae, which, with seeds, constitute the chief food; fruit, however, or even small reptiles, crabs, worms, and molluscs are occasionally eaten. The tail is often carried erect; Cinclosoma rises with a whirring noise; Cinclorhamphus hovers in the air. Several members of the Family are comparatively silent, Sittiparus and Alcippe twitter, Stachyridopsis utters clear, bell-like tones, Timelia slowly repeated cries, Myiophoneus a fine whistle; but usually harsh chattering or screaming noises alternate with chuckles, croaks, clucks, or a laughing chorus. Psophodes is called the "Coach-whip bird," from its notes ending like the crack of a whip. The habits of Clitonyx are said to resemble those of the Meliphagidae. The nest is commonly a rough structure of leaves, moss, herbage, and the like, often lined with roots, which is placed in low trees, bushes, reeds, grass, holes in trees, or banks, by Garrulax, Argya, and Turdinus; in crevices of rocks, by Chaetops; or on crags near torrents, by Myiophoneus. It may consist of somewhat softer materials, frequently bedded with fur, wool, or feathers, as in Crateropus, Paradoxornis, and Trochalopterum–several pairs of the last-named occasionally using the same tree; or it may be a domed mass of grass, leaves, bark, and moss, situated on or near the ground, as in Timelia, Orthonyx, Pomatorhinus, Pellorneum, and Rhopocichla. Lioptila and some of its nearest allies build a mossy cup, adorned with cobwebs, in high firs or other trees. The eggs of Crateropus and Argya are deep greenish-blue, glossy and spotless; those of Garrulax are similar, or pale blue or white; those of Dryonastes light blue; those of Pomatorhinus, Stachyris, Orthonyx, and Xiphorhamphus white; those of Paradoxornis whitish, with yellow-brown and purple markings. The ground-colour is frequently greenish-blue, olive, brown, salmon, creamy, or white, and shews scattered or dense spots, streaks, freckles, blotches, or even hieroglyphics, of reddish, purplish, chocolate, olive, grey, or occasionally black. The coloration, however, is by no means constant in each genus, while the number varies from two to five or six. The Australian Pomatorhini fashion large domed nests, after the manner of Magpies, of twigs lined with bark and feathers, and add a spout-like entrance, while several are commonly found at the ends of the branches of the same tree; their buff or purplish eggs, clouded with brown and purple, and streaked with black hair-lines, number from four to ten.
Fam. V. Pycnonotidae.–The Bulbuls, often included among the Timeliidae, have a fairly long bill, usually somewhat stout and curved, which is Finch-like in Spizixus, very long and thin in Phyllostrephus, and so forth. The maxilla is generally notched, being minutely serrated in Andropadus, and decidedly hooked in Tricholestes, Aethorhynchus, and Trichophoropsis; while strong or weak rictal bristles are ordinarily present. The abbreviated metatarsi lack scales in several genera. The wings are normally short, rounded, and concave–though more pointed in Hypsipetes and Irena (if these really belong to the Family), Hemixus, Alcurus, and Ixocincla or even long in Tylas–the secondaries are much elongated in Aethorhynchus. The tail is sometimes square or graduated, but is commonly rounded, being rarely forked, as in Hypsipetes; in Irena and Micropus the coverts are much lengthened, while they nearly equal the rectrices in I. crinigera. Crests occur frequently, the constituent feathers in Alcurus being obtuse, in Criniger long and pointed, in Otocompsa somewhat recurved. Most of the Family are characterized by long, fluffy rump-plumage and conspicuous nuchal or dorsal hairs, the latter reaching their highest development in Tricholestes. The feathers hide the nostrils in Irena and Spizixus; Poliolophus has a yellow circumocular wattle, and several species of Pycnonotus possess fleshy eyelids of black, red, or grey.
The usual coloration is olive-brown, olive-green, or olive-yellow, commonly with wholly or partially yellow, white, greyish, or even orange, rufous, and buff under parts; Hypsipetes perniger is entirely black, Micropus melanoleucus black with white wing-spots, and many species are mottled with yellowish or white. Trachycomus has a yellow cap of decomposed bristly feathers; while elsewhere the head or the throat is often more or less black, brown, chestnut, grey, and rarely yellow or white. The tail and rump may be rufous, yellow, or orange, occasionally barred with black; and white or yellow markings frequently adorn the wings. Otocompsa shews crimson or scarlet ear-tufts, and crimson or yellow under tail-coverts; certain species of Pycnonotus have the latter scarlet, orange, or yellow; Rubigula has loose, stiff, scarlet plumage on the throat, and an orange under surface. Chloropsis is green and yellow, relieved by orange, blue, purple and black, and exhibits a conspicuous blue, purple, or emerald shoulder-patch, except in C. cyanopogon and C. flavipennis; Aegithina and Aethorhynchus are green, black, and yellow; while Irena (the Fairy Blue-bird) is either brilliant turquoise, with black wings, tail, and under parts, or purple-blue, varied by cobalt above, with or without a black mantle and under surface. The bill and legs range from brown, black, or plumbeous, to coral red, orange, yellow, or whitish. The sexes are similar, except in Aegithina, Aethorhynchus, Chloropsis, and Irena.
From their headquarters in the Indian and Indo-Malay countries, the Pycnonotidae extend to China, Hainan, Formosa, and the Moluccas, Hypsipetes even reaching Japan; they also occupy the whole Ethiopian Region, with Madagascar and the neighbouring islands. To these latter Ixocincla and Tylas (p. [533]) are peculiar; while Pycnonotus, Criniger and Xenocichla inhabit both of the above Regions, and the first is found from Morocco to the Cyclades, Rhodes, Cyprus, and Palestine.
Bulbuls are gregarious arboreal birds of feeble flight, rarely seen upon the ground, where they move with awkward shuffles or short hops. The majority are sociable, and frequent gardens, orchards, forests, and low jungles; they feed chiefly upon fruits, including berries and seeds, but also upon insects, which Aethorhynchus, Aegithina, and Chloropsis in especial seek among the leaves and branches of the trees. The ordinary note is a mellow cheerful whistle, becoming a pretty song in such species as Pycnonotus haemorrhous, and P. xanthopygus, the Ceylon and Palestine Nightingales; chattering and chirping sounds are, however, often heard, while Criniger, Phyllostrephus and Hypsipetes habitually utter reiterated jarring or croaking cries, particularly when roosting in company. The flimsy, or occasionally bulky, nests of twigs, fibres, grass, moss, and cobwebs are placed in low trees, bushes, creepers, or bamboo-clumps; Aegithina, Chloropsis, and Irena generally laying two or three white or greenish eggs with brown streaks or spots, and the remaining forms from two to four, of a pinkish white or salmon colour, with markings of various reds and purples. The nest of Iole is suspended by the rim like that of an Oriole. The Perso-Arabic Bulbul of poets is probably Daulias hafizi, a true Nightingale.