Callaeidae

bird family

Also known as: Callaeatidae, callaeid family

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History

Callaeidae, songbird family, order Passeriformes, collectively called wattlebirds (a name also applied to certain honeyeaters). Callaeids are found only in the deep forests of New Zealand. They are long-tailed, strong-footed, and weak-winged and have fleshy wattles at the corners of the mouth. Callaeids eat fruits and occasionally insects, which are taken on the ground. They build loose, shallow nests, lined with ferns, on ledges or in hollows. The three callaeid species are the kokako (q.v.;...

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