Long-billed white-eye

Long-billed white-eye
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Zosteropidae
Genus: Rukia
Species:
R. longirostra
Binomial name
Rukia longirostra
Synonyms
  • Cynnirorhyncha longirostra Taka-Tsukasa & Yamashina, 1931
  • Rhamphozosterops sanfordi Mayr, 1931
  • Rukia sanfordi Mayr, 1931

The long-billed white-eye (Rukia longirostra), known as tiht in Pohnpeian, is a species of oscine passerine bird belonging to the family Zosteropidae, the white-eyes. It is endemic to the island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia.

Taxonomy

The long-billed white-eyes was first formally described as Cynnirorhyncha longirostra by the Japanese ornithologists Nobusuke Takatsukasa and Yoshimaro Yamashina with its type locality given as Ponape. This species is one of two white-eye species classified within the genus Rukia, a genus confined to the Federated States of Micronesia. Rukia was proposed in 1922 by the Japanese ornithologist Tokutaro Momiyama with the teardrop white-eye (Tephras ruki) as its type species. This genus has been recovered as nesting within the genus Zosterops in some studies. This species is classified in the family Zosteropidae, the white-eyes.

Description

The long-billed white-eyes is an aberrant species of white-eyes. The overall colour is pale brownish-olive with orange legs and a long decurved bill. The call is a high pitched descending "tseer". This bird has a length of 13 cm (5.1 in) and weigh 17.9 g (0.63 oz).

Distribution and habitat

The long-billed white-eyes is endemic to the island of Pohnpei in the Caroline Islands in the Federated States of Micronesia in the central Pacific Ocean. Its habitat is and broadleaf forest, it is rarely found in plantations.

Biology

The long-billed white-eyes has a diet dominated by nectar, especially that of the native palm, it also takes insects and sometimes fruit. The association of this species with the uplands may be because of it nectar feeding habits and competition with other native passerines.

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2016). "Rukia longirostra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016 e.T22714271A94409249. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22714271A94409249.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Long-billed White-eye Rukia longirostra (Taka-Tsukasa, N; Yamashina, Y 1931)". Avibase - The World Bird Database. Denis Lepage. Retrieved 1 November 2026.
  3. ↑ Momiyama, Tokutaro (1922). Horyo Nanyo Shoto-san chorui. Nihon Chogakkai.
  4. ↑ Beth Slikas; Isaac B. Jones; Scott R. Derrickson; Robert C. Fleischer (2000). "Phylogenetic Relationships of Micronesian White-Eyes Based on Mitochondrial Sequence Data". The Auk. 117 (2): 355–365. doi:10.1093/auk/117.2.355.
  5. ↑ "Long-billed White-eye Rukia longirostra". eBird. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 1 November 2026.
  6. ↑ van Balen, B. (2020). J. del Hoyo; A. Elliott; J. Sargatal; D. A. Christie; and E. de Juana (eds.). "Long-billed White-eye (Rukia longirostra), version 1.0". Birds of the World. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.lbweye2.01.
  7. 1 2 "Long-billed White-eye Rukia longirostra". BirdLife International. Retrieved 1 November 2026.