Avian and Attributes – Strong

Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) by Ian 2

Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) by Ian

“Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.” (Psalms 24:7-8 KJV)

STRONG
Strong, a. [G., L. The sense of the radical word is to stretch, strain, draw, and probably from the root of stretch and reach.]

Having physical active power, or great physical power; having the power of exerting great bodily force; vigorous. A patient is recovering from sickness, but is not yet strong enough to walk. A strong man will lift twice his own weight.
That our oxen may be strong to labor. Psa 144.
Having physical passive power; having ability to bear or endure; firm; solid; as a constitution strong enough to bear the fatigues of a campaign.
Well fortified; able to sustain attacks;
Having great wealth, means or resources;

Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) by Ian 1

Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) by Ian 1

Moving with rapidity; violent; forcible; impetuous; as a strong current of water or wind; the wind was strong from the northeast; we had a strong tide against us.
Hale; sound; robust; as a strong constitution.
Powerful; forcible; cogent; adapted to make a deep or effectual impression on the mind or imagination; as a strong argument; strong reasons; strong evidence; a strong example or instance. – He used strong language.

Strong-billed Woodcreeper (Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus) ©WikiC

Ardent; eager; zealous; earnestly engaged;
Affecting the sight forcibly; as strong colors.
Affecting the taste forcibly; as the strong flavor of onions.
Affecting the smell powerfully; as a strong scent.
Not of easy digestion; solid; as strong meat. Heb 5.
Well established; firm; not easily overthrown or altered;
Violent; vehement; earnest. – Who in the day of his flesh, when he offered up prayers with strong crying and tears– Heb 5.
Able; furnished with abilities. – I was stronger in prophecy than in criticism.
Having great force of mind, of intellect or of any faculty; as a man of strong powers of mind; a man of a strong mind or intellect; a man of strong memory, judgment or imagination.
Bright; glaring; vivid; as a strong light.
Powerful to the extent of force named; as an army ten thousand strong.

Strong-billed Woodcreeper (Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus) ©Drawingi WikiC

Strong-billed Woodcreeper (Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus) ©Drawingi WikiC

“Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.” (Psalms 31:2-3 KJV)

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” (Proverbs 18:10 KJV)


More Avian and Attributes

Birds whose first or last name starts with “S”

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[Definitions from Webster’s Dictionary of American English (1828), unless noted. Bird info from Wikipedia plus.]

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Strong-billed Honeyeater

Bird of the Week – Strong-billed Honeyeater ~ Ian Montgomery

Newsletter ~ 3-27-13

Still on the subject of Tasmanian endemics, Tasmania has 4 honeyeater that aren’t found on the mainland. We had the Yellow Wattlebird several weeks ago; the other three comprise the Yellow-throated Honeyeater and two of the seven members of the genus Melithreptus : the Black-headed Honeyeater and this week’s choice the Strong-billed Honeyeater.

Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) by Ian 1

Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) by Ian 1

Melithreptus means ‘honey-fed’ and is like Meliphaga a synonym for ‘Honeyeater’ (the Honeyeater family is Meliphagidae) and most members of the Melithreptus genus feed on nectar to varying degrees. The Strong-billed is different, however, and feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates. It uses its sturdy bill and relatively strong neck and shoulders to strip bark from tree trunks and branches and to probe coarse bark in search of prey. The bird in the first photo is in a very typical pose. Note the strong feet and long claws adapted for clinging to vertical trunks. Interestingly, there are no treecreepers in Tasmania, and the Strong-billed Honeyeater would appear to have adapted to fill the resulting void. With a length of 15-17 cm/6-6.7 in it is the largest member of the genus.

Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) by Ian 2

Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) by Ian 2

All the Melithreptus species except the Black-headed have the distinctive white stripe across the back of the head. They all have decorative eye-crescents above the eye and its colour is a field mark for distinguishing the different species, and can be whitish, blue, yellowish or red. You can see that it is whitish in these Strong-billed though it can also be pale blue.

Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) by Ian 3

Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) by Ian 3

Tomorrow, I’m off to Southwestern Queensland in search of dry-country birds. So I hope to be able to bring you some interesting examples of these in the coming weeks.

Best wishes
Ian

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Ian Montgomery, Birdway Pty Ltd,
454 Forestry Road, Bluewater, Qld 4818
Tel 0411 602 737 ian@birdway.com.au
Check the latest website updates:
http://www.birdway.com.au/#updates


Lee’s Addition:

And He said to me, Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it. Then I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. (Ezekiel 3:3 AMP)

I like the clean lines on that Honeyeater. Simple, but very becoming. Thanks, Ian, for introducing us to another Tazmanian bird. Not sure whats out in the Southwestern Queensland, but I am sure in the weeks to come, we will find out. Humm! Wonder what he will find?

As Ian said, the Strong-billed Honeyeater is part of the Meliphagidae – Honeyeaters Family. Check out his Meliphagidae Family. He has lots of photos of them.

See his other newsletters about the Honeyeaters: