1998 Volume 47 Issue 1 Pages 1-9,29
The locomotory morphology of 32 species of rain forest birds in Madagascar was examined by using body mass, tarsus and wing lengths. Relative tarsus length was found to be longer when relative wing length became shorter and there was a significant correlation between them. Among 14 arboreal passerines, aerial feeding species shows longer wing, whereas longer tarsi is found in near-perch feeding species. This ecomorphological variation might allow ecological segregation in the Madagascar forest bird community.