Goldthroat
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For more information about emeraldines, see this post.
Goldthroat,
Barbaminor aurum L 15-20 cm, WS 28 cm, Family: Barbalaetidae
IUCN Conservation Status: Least concern (LC)
Description:
Slender
songbird with sharply pointed bill, strong legs, and medium-length tail. Dull
brown upperparts, with heavy streaking, lighter gray-brown undersides. Slight orange
edging on wing feathers. Tail often held out in fan shape. Distinctive bright
iridescent gold throat feathers present only in males. Females lack yellow
throat, eyes yellow instead of male’s red.
Voice:
Sings
frequently throughout the day. Song is a series of buzzy trills and gargles,
similar to Farr’s Emeraldine, but more “watery”. Most common call is a short,
sharp tink.
Range and Habitat:
Found
throughout Novasola, including Kosatka and Francis Islands. Prefers wetland ecosystems
with dense understory or shrub layer, like swamps, bogs, and riparian areas,
but will also be seen in meadows, scrubland, coastal dunes, or other
open-canopy ecosystems. Avoids altitudes higher than about 9,000 ft and areas
without thick understory.
Discussion:
The
widest ranging member, and the second most common, of the emeraldine family Barbalaetidae,
found only on Novasola, the Goldthroat was only recently placed in this group. Until
recent genetic studies the Goldthroat was thought of as a unique member of the New
World Blackbird family Icteridae, with which it shares many traits, and
it is this relationship that allowed scientists to place Emeraldines as a
sister group to the blackbirds. The genus Barbaminor means “small beard”,
and the species name aurum comes from the Latin for “gold”, and it is
not hard to imagine from where it gets its name.
Comfortable
deep within swampy thickets and reeds, the Goldthroat is heavily associated
with wetlands across the island, and, like true emeraldines, can be difficult
to spot. They are most easily observed during the spring when males sing to
attract mates and defend territories, as they sing frequently and consistently
throughout all hours of the day and often choose to do so from exposed perches
like dead tree limbs or atop cattails. Because they share a similar habitat and
foraging strategy, Goldthroats can often be confused for blackbirds, especially
females, but their songs sound distinctly emeraldine, and unlike blackbirds
Goldthroats are entirely non-migratory, staying here year-round, even as the
wetlands freeze over.
In
the summer months, Goldthroats eat mostly invertebrates like beetles, crickets,
caterpillars, dragonflies, spiders, and mayflies, while in the winter they
transition their diets to seeds like acorns and thistle and berries, as well as
grain crops. They especially like rice and grass seed agriculture and are often
considered pests. Like true emeraldines they are mostly ground foragers and
will hop along the ground or plant mats, however they can also be seen
searching for food under leaves in the sub-canopy. Goldthroats are less reliant
on woody vegetation than most true emeraldines, and more willing to leave cover.
Emeraldines
are perhaps best known for their courtship displays and breeding behaviors,
which includes the Goldthroat, though they are in most ways less extreme. In
the spring, males will sing frequently to attract females. Once a female has
flown in, the male will show off his brightly colored throat while performing a
courtship “dance”, which mostly involves rocking from side to side. If the
female accepts, the two mate and find a nest location. Both females and males
help build the nest and rear young. To build the nest, the pair will weave an
intricate hanging basket structure out of grasses, sedges, and leaves, usually
hanging from large shrubs or small trees, especially willow and alder. This structure
is less intricate than true emeraldine nests but is still impressive and often lasts
for multiple years, in which case the same pair will reuse the same nest.
The
only member of its genus, the Goldthroat is a unique and impressive emeraldine,
a distinct group of birds found only on Novasola. Their brilliant throats and
talent for weaving elaborate nests make them fascinating birds to observe and
to study, and unlike true emeraldines, were already described scientifically by
the time Reichwald observed them during the NRC expeditions, but it was
Reichwald who first suggested they be placed in the Barbalaetidae family.
“In
regard to the taxonomy of that [Goldthroat] bird, I must differ and stand
opposed to my earlier colleague’s decision. While it may be fair to see similarities
between this and the blackbirds and the orioles, especially when comparing
their nests to those of the Oriole and their plumage to that of female
blackbirds or bobolinks, these similarities are superficial. After having
observed numerous individuals in the wild, as I have with all the birds of the
Fastwaters, it is in my view impossible to place them anywhere but with the emeraldines.
These birds too build nests of woven grasses, have elaborate courtship
displays, bright throats, and prefer dense understory cover. Should these not
be enough, it takes no work from the imagination to hear the similarities in
the songs of the two groups, especially in the Farr’s Emeraldine, which if
given a few swigs of fine brew might perfectly emulate the Goldthroat’s gargle.”
– Richard Reichwald, in a letter to fellow scientist Roger Tory Peterson, 1939