Shrikebills | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Monarchidae |
Genus: |
Clytorhynchus Elliot, 1870 |
Diversity | |
5 species | |
Synonyms | |
Pinarolestes Sharpe, 1877 |
Pinarolestes Sharpe, 1877
The shrikebills are the monarch flycatcher genus Clytorhynchus. The five species have long laterally compressed bills similar to true shrikes that give them their names. The genus is endemic to the islands of Melanesia and western Polynesia.
The shrikebills are insectivorous, and use their large heavy bills to explore tangles of dead leaves and dead wood; an unusual foraging strategy for their family. Their diet may also include small fruits and lizards.
The genus Clytorhynchus contains the following species:
Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus Clytorhynchus: