Subdesert mesite Subdesert mesite The subdesert mesite ("Monias benschi") is a ground-dwelling bird endemic to Madagascar. It is one of three species in the mesite family Mesitornithidae, and is restricted in distribution to a small low-land region in southwest Madagascar. The subdesert mesite is a medium-sized terrestrial bird which is often described as rail-like (a family with which the mesites are sometimes placed). The species has a long and downward-curved bill distinguishing it from the other members of the family. Both sexes are greyish above and show thin white eyebrows. Both have white underparts; the male has black crescent-shaped spots on the
Australia (continent) is most often used for a wider region that includes lands like New Zealand that are not on the same continental shelf. In the early 1970s, the term "Greater Australia" was introduced for the Pleistocene continent. Then at a 1975 conference and consequent publication, the name "Sahul" was extended from its previous use for just the Sahul Shelf to cover the continent. In 1984 W. Filewood suggested the name "Meganesia", meaning "great island" or "great island-group", for both the Pleistocene continent and the present-day lands, and this name has been widely accepted by biologists. Others have used "Meganesia" with different