pitohui

pitohui - n., any of several perching birds of New Guinea (formerly all genus Pitohui, now separated into three families), some of which have powerful neurotoxic alkaloids on their skin and feathers.


The same times of neurotoxins as poison dart frogs. The hooded pitohui (Pitohui dichrous) is the best known of the poisonous ones:


Thanks, WikiMedia!

Those who handle them report skin getting numb, and locals will not eat them unless carefully prepared. The name comes from Papuan, specifically the name for the variable pitohui (Pitohui kirhocephalus).


And that wraps up a week of critters. Mostly birds. Not many of which were birbs. Sorry 'bout that.

---L.