Pitohui << PIHT oh `hoo` ee >> is a group of songbirds found only in the forests of New Guinea. The pitohuis include the first known poisonous birds. Pitohuis have strong beaks and legs. Most of the species (kinds) are sociable and live in small groups.
The feathers and skin of at least three species contain a strong poison. The poison probably keeps the pitohuis from being eaten by predators, such as snakes and hawks. Unlike some poisonous animals, pitohuis only use their poison to protect themselves. They are not known to use it to prey on or attack other animals.
The hooded pitohui is the most toxic of the three poisonous species. This bird is about 9 inches (23 centimeters) long. It has an orange-brown body with black wings, head, and tail. Curiously enough, its color pattern resembles that of the monarch butterfly, which is also poisonous and inedible to predators.
There are no known cases of a pitohui’s poison causing serious harm to human beings. However, the village people of New Guinea, who hunt and eat native birds, call the pitohui a “rubbish bird” and rarely eat it.
