Wikipedia:Today's featured article/March 4, 2023

The hooded pitohui, found in New Guinea, is a medium-sized songbird with rich chestnut and black plumage. It is one of the few known poisonous birds, containing a range of batrachotoxin compounds in its skin, feathers and other tissues. These toxins are thought to be derived from their diet, and may function both to deter predators and to protect the bird from parasites. The toxic nature of this bird is well known to local hunters, who avoid it. The hooded pitohui is found in forests from sea level up to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft), but is most common in hills and low mountains. A social bird, it lives in family groups and frequently joins and even leads mixed-species foraging flocks. The diet is made up of fruits, seeds and invertebrates. This species is apparently a cooperative breeder, with family groups helping to protect the nest and feed the young. The hooded pitohui is common and not currently at risk of extinction, with its numbers being stable.