OLD WORLD PARASITIC CUCKOOS: Cuculidae
This peculiar family of 57 species extends from Eurasia and Africa to Australasia. Parasitic cuckoos are diverse in New Guinea (18 spp), and the family seems to have had a long history in Australasia, a region particularly rich in passerines, their only hosts. The parasitic cuckoos are slender birds of sleek plumage, upright posture, poised appearance, and graceful flight. They dwell mainly in the treetops and lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, abandoning the care of their eggs and young to foster parents. Features that distinguish cuckoos from any passerines they might resemble are their short legs with a foot with 2 toes turned back, the circular nostril, and underparts usually barred (many birds of paradise, trillers, and some cuckooshrikes also have ventral barring). The smallest species of parasitic cuckoos are flycatcher-like in size and behavior, whereas the largest species are jay- and crowlike and eat mainly fruit. All but the largest species have a taste for caterpillars and in fact eat prickly, toxic ones avoided by other birds. They are drawn to caterpillar infestations. Parasitic cuckoos are usually solitary, although they may join mixed-species flocks. Perhaps because their food fluctuates seasonally, many cuckoo species are migratory, with overwintering or passage migrants in the NG Region breeding in nearby Australia (9 spp), New Zealand (1), and Asia (2).
The most intriguing aspect of cuckoos is their parasitic breeding behavior. Most species are thought to be promiscuous, without a lasting pair bond. Males, which are generally the larger sex, do a lot of singing and displaying, whereas female cuckoos are quiet. Females have all sorts of tricks to deceive and outmaneuver the small songbirds that are the hosts for their eggs. Each cuckoo species has a range of host species but tends to prefer just a few. The hosts themselves are often well prepared to thwart the would-be parasite, but in due course many fail. Very little is known about the breeding of NG parasitic cuckoos, and the hosts of 4 species remain to be discovered. In this guide, we have paid particular attention to describing juvenile plumages and would encourage the reporting of host species feeding juvenile cuckoos. Juveniles undergo complete molt into adultlike immature plumage, retaining none or very few juvenile flight-feathers. Be aware, too, that plumage coloration of female cuckoos varies individually. Identification of females and juveniles of some species can be difficult!
Dwarf Koel Microdynamis parva |
20–22 cm. An uncommon canopy-dwelling fruit eater of lowland and hill forest. Shaped like miniature koel, with a short, thick, slightly hooked bill and rounded tail. Note distinctive white streak below eye. Male: Has a metallic blue-black crown and black malar streak; also note the red eye. Female: Like a much duller version of Male and without the dark crown; shows traces of barring in underparts; iris hazel to red. Juv: Like Female but with indistinct dark barring in the wings, tail, and underparts. Subspp (2): parva (range except that of next subsp) back brown, underparts buff; grisescens (Sepik-Ramu to northern SE Pen) upperparts greyer, underparts rufous brown. Similar spp: Long-billed Cuckoo female much like smaller version of female Dwarf K, but with a longer, thinner bill and darker iris. Eastern K female much larger and spotted above. Tawny Honeyeater with longer, narrower curved bill and bare patch around eye. Voice: Two similar, far-carrying songs. One is medium to high pitched with a frantic, resonant quality: a series of identical upslurred notes (1/sec), whuri-whuri-whuri …, lasting 30 sec or more:
(Eastern K gives a similar koel song that is lower pitched, slower, and shorter in duration.) Second song is a rapid series of downslurred notes, wur-dr, the series ascending in pitch then reaching a plateau and proceeding on a steady pitch, lasting 2.5–5 sec:
Habits: A fruit eater, feeding in crowns of trees in association with fruit-doves and other birds. Will sing from an open perch. Oft en seen in pairs. Hosts and egg unknown. Range: Endemic. NG (minus Trans-Fly), plus audio records from the 3 main D’Entrecasteaux Is (SE Is), 0–1450 m.
Eastern Koel Eudynamys orientalis |
(Common, Indian, or Pacific Koel, E. scolopacea)
38–42 cm. Uncommon fruit-eating cuckoo of lowland and lower montane forest canopy. Shape distinctive: large, slender, and with long, rounded tail. Red iris and pale bill in Adult. Male: A large, glossy black cuckoo reminiscent of a coucal or manucode, but differs by long shape and combination of red iris and pale bill. Female: Individually variable, but with white malar streak, dark upperparts boldly spotted, and many-barred tail; pale underparts with dark barring. Female plumages differ between the resident NG and migrant Australian races. Darker Females have head black rather than brown and streaked. Juv: Compared with Female has black eye-patch framed by pale crown and white malar streak; wing-coverts barred as well as spotted; dark iris. Juv of migratory race should be molting to Adult plumage on NG wintering grounds. Subspp (2): rufiventer (NG resident) Female with upperparts chestnut-spotted and underparts with ochre wash; subcyanocephalus (AU migrant to S NG) Female with whitish dorsal spotting and paler underparts; some have a black head with the usual white malar streak. Similar spp: Manucodes have a black bill and nervous, jerky posturing. Coucals are larger and have black or ivory bill. Dwarf K much smaller than Female Eastern K. Long-tailed Cuckoo is streaked below. Voice: The two songs are loud, far-carrying, deep whistles, delivered most frequently at dawn and dusk, sometimes predawn. (1) The koel or cooee song: a slow-paced series of slurred notes, each note with a sense of forward momentum. Series (1 note per 1.5 sec) may ascend and swell somewhat:
(2) A rapid series of 2 or 3 notes, whurdur or whurdurdur, that rises and then levels in pitch (Th is may be the same as the wurroo song of Australian koels, given in the presence of other koels.):
(Similar to the songs of the Dwarf K, which gives higher-pitched, disyllabic notes.) Also gives a loud, staccato, rapidly repeated week week week WEEK …; this could be the keek call of Female AU birds. AU Male also gives a whik call. AU koels duet with Female keek notes mingled with Male whik notes and wurroo song. Habits: Rarely seen except at fruiting trees, where it behaves warily but aggressively. Male will encamp at a productive tree and chase away smaller songbirds. Takes insects in typical cuckoo manner. Hosts in AU include friarbirds, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Magpielark, and Australasian Figbird. Egg reddish orange to pinkish buff, sparingly spotted and blotched. Range: NG, NW Is (Batanta, Misool, Salawati, Waigeo), Aru Is, Manam I, and Karkar I, 0–1500 m. Also Wallacea eastward to Bismarck Is and AU. Taxonomy: Formerly included with other forms in the Common K, E. scolopacea.
Long-tailed Cuckoo Urodynamis taitensis |
(Long-tailed Koel, Eudynamys taitensis)
36–39 cm. A vagrant during austral winter to small islands off northern NG and SE Is; no records from mainland. A brown, hawklike koel with streaked underparts. Distinctive slender profile with long tail. Note bicolored bill and conspicuous pale eyebrow. Probably only Adult birds in NG Region. Adult: Upperparts entirely barred; underparts white with sharp, dark streaking; iris yellow. Some birds, particularly Females, with buffy underparts. Juv: Upperparts white-spotted like female AU race Eastern K; underparts buffy; iris dark. Probably all Juv have molted into mostly Adult plumage by the time they reach the NG Region. In flight: Flight rapid, straight, and powerful, with continuous wingbeats; note long tail. Similar spp: Eastern K female and juv with spotted upperparts and barred, not streaked below; note differences in eye and bill color and absence of pale eyebrow. Oriental Cuckoo brown morph barred below and lacks eyebrow. Small hawks have a shorter, more square-tipped tail. Voice: Probably quiet in region. Twittering call by migrating birds. Two advertisement calls: shriek call, a penetrating, buzzing, upslurred whistle; and chatter call, a series of wheet notes. Habits: Passage dates unknown, but possibly northward in Feb–Apr, southward in Aug–Nov. In migration and on wintering grounds remains concealed in canopy of coastal scrub, coconut plantations, and occasionally lowland forest. Feeding behavior little known, cryptic, and wary. Forages (mainly?) nocturnally for large invertebrates, reptiles, and small bird eggs, nestlings, and adults; occasionally fruit and seeds. Range: SE Is, where known from a single record from Kimuta I near Misima. Expected elsewhere in SE Is and along north coast of NG. Breeds in NZ. Winters in vast arc of small islands extending from Micronesia to Polynesia.
Channel-billed Cuckoo Scythrops novaehollandiae |
(Stormbird)
51–58 cm. An uncommon austral winter migrant to forest and river edge and other open habitats in lowlands. An unforgettable, giant, crow-sized cuckoo. Shape unique—massive bill, long pointed wings, and long tail with black-and-white tip. Adult: Grey, with red eye and orbital ring; but Female has smaller bill with longer cream tip (>30%) and underparts with heavier ventral barring. Juv: Head and underparts buff rather than grey; upperparts spotted buff. Migrant young birds in region molting from Juv into Adult plumage. In flight: Unmistakable shape, with long bill, wings, and tail; distinctive flight with slow and regular wingbeat. Similar spp: Grey Crow has much shorter wings and tail and no markings in plumage. Flying Blyth’s Hornbill in silhouette has broader wings with noisy flapping. Voice: Can be very vocal day or night, perched or flying, and especially when breeding. A wide variety of repeated screeching calls. A loud, unpleasant, guttural gaak or graah-graah, distinctive. Habits: Migrates N in Feb–Apr, S in Aug–Sep. A few birds present in summer, so breeding is possible but not proven. Slow-moving. Feeds in crowns of trees on fruit, especially figs, and on insects and eggs and nestling birds. In AU parasitizes Torresian Crow, butcherbirds, Australian Magpie, and Magpielark. These hosts present in NG Region, where Channel-billed observed being chased by Torresian and Grey Crows. Egg buff, dark-spotted and blotched. Range: Migrant throughout most of NG Region (no records from Gebe in NW Is, nor Bay Is, nor Rossel and Woodlark in SE Is), 0–650 m. Possibly breeds on D’Entrecasteaux Is (3 main islands), where it is common and vocally active in austral summer. Breeds in AU, Sulawesi, and New Britain I (and possibly nearby islands).
Long-billed Cuckoo Rhamphomantis megarhynchus |
(Chrysococcyx megarhynchus)
18–19 cm. New Guinea’s rarest and most mysterious cuckoo, known from a few scattered locales but may be expected anywhere in lowland forest on mainland NG and land-bridge islands. Long, deep bill with droop tip and short, squared tail suggestive of a honeyeater. Tail with indistinct dark barring on the underside. Male: Sooty black head and striking red-brown iris emphasized by red orbital ring; rest of upperparts brown; underparts pale greyish brown. Some Males have darker wings, tail, and breast. Female: Similar but with head grey-brown and iris dark brown with narrow cream outer ring and dark orbital ring; rest of upperparts brighter (cinnamon); and underparts more rufous buff. Some Adults with vague dark barring or vermiculation on the breast. Juv: Resembles Tawny-breasted Honeyeater—head variably patterned brown, crown and ear-coverts darkest, contrasting with a broad greyish-white zone around dark eye, on the throat, and also sometimes on the nape or line behind the eye; iris and orbital ring blackish; remainder of upperparts rufous brown to brown; upper breast brownish or greyish, rest of underparts pale rufous; may have greyish vermiculations on the breast and belly. Similar spp: Dwarf Koel larger, with much shorter bill and a white streak below eye. Tawny Honeyeater more active and does not perch upright, bill more gradually curved, and facial pattern sharply defined with yellow or orange markings and bare orbital patch; up close note slit nostril and songbird feet. Both koel and honeyeater lack vague dark barring in undertail. Voice: Seldom heard. Song reminiscent of Malay Bronze Cuckoo, but a louder, more distinct trill—a descending series of constantly spaced notes, the trill lasting 4 sec, and repeated at 5-sec intervals; sibilant, soft, but far-carrying. Also a 2- or 3-note whistle. Habits: Seen singly. Behavior typical of a small, insectivorous cuckoo. Once located, rather easily viewed, confiding. Perches motionless with an upright posture for long periods, sometimes on an open branch. Forages in subcanopy. Visits caterpillar infestations, where it associates with other birds, including other cuckoos and Tawny Honeyeaters. Seen removing spittlebug nymphs from their foamy mass. Flies in the direct manner of a bronze cuckoo, not undulating. Hosts and egg unknown. Range: Endemic. NG, NW Is (Misol, Waigeo), and Aru Is, 0–500? m.
Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo Chalcites basalis |
(Chrysococcyx basalis)
15–20 cm. Rare austral winter migrant to Trans-Fly and Aru Is savannah, open country, and forest edge. Only bronze cuckoo with prominent pale eyebrow, sooty ear patch curving down side of neck, and scaled feathers on upperparts. Upper tail with rufous edge basally. Iris dark in all plumages. Adult: Iridescent bronze upperparts rather dull and greyish. Underparts with incomplete bold, black barring. Some Females duller, more brownish above, but most not safely distinguished from Male. Juv: Head grey to grey-brown; pale eyebrow and dark eye-line both vague but still diagnostic; rufous edge to base of tail also present; scaling on upperparts rarely visible; underparts without barring. Overwintering young birds probably molting from Juv to adultlike Imm plumage. Similar spp: Other bronze cuckoos lack the distinctive Horsfield’s facial pattern, dorsal scalloping, and rufous edging to base of tail. Shining and Little BCs overlap in habitat. Voice: Probably quiet in NG. Song is a slow, monotonous series of 15–30 steeply descending notes, seeuuu, given without change in pitch or rate at ~0.7 notes/sec. Habits: Feeds in foliage of trees and bushes, perches on wires and fences, occasionally on the ground far from cover. May dive to the ground for prey. Flight swift, direct, and slightly undulating. Range: NG and Aru Is, 0–500? m. NG: Bensbach region (potentially throughout the Trans-Fly) and vagrant to Port Moresby. Could turn up elsewhere. Breeds in AU.
Black-eared Cuckoo Chalcites osculans |
(Chrysococcyx or Misocalius osculans)
19–22 cm. Austral winter vagrant to savannah and other open habitats. A small, pale grey cuckoo of desert colors with distinctive head pattern: a thick white eyebrow contrasting with black eye-patch extending from bill, through the eye and ear-coverts to side of neck. No barring anywhere. Adult: Note unique buffy underparts in fresh plumage, ultimately fading to white. Juv: White-and-black facial markings less distinct and rump greyer than Adult. Should be molting into adultlike Imm plumage when in NG. In flight: Note pale rump. Similar spp: None. Voice: Probably quiet in NG. Song a monotonous series of descending peeer notes repeated at same pitch and speed, ~10 notes/15 sec. Habits: Forages from treetops and often flies to the ground to take prey. Quiet and shy. Range: A few records from Aru Is, 0–100 m. Breeds in AU dry country.
Rufous-throated Bronze Cuckoo Chalcites ruficollis |
(Chrysococcyx ruficollis)
15–17 cm. An uncommon resident of montane forest. Unmistakable within its habitat. Adult: Extensive rufous brown wash on forehead, face, and throat; upperparts with iridescent bronze, casting green and rufous highlights. Sexual difference in iris color: Male red brown, Female brown. Juv: Upperparts greyish green; faintly barred underparts grey fading to white belly. Similar spp: White-eared BC at lower elevations lacks rufous in the sides of the face and throat and instead adult has a white ear patch and rufous at base of primaries; juv lacks barring on flanks and instead has chestnut base to flight-feathers. Voice: Song a series of 8–9 identical, high-pitched downslurred whistles (2/sec) similar to but higher pitched than those of White-eared: feer feer feer…. This note may be repeated at irregular intervals. Habits: A typical bronze cuckoo of the forest canopy. Only 1 host record so far: Papuan Scrubwren. Egg undescribed. Range: Endemic. NG: Bird’s Head, Bird’s Neck (Wandammen), Central Ranges, Foja Mts, and Huon, 1800–2600 m (1130–3230 m).
Shining Bronze Cuckoo Chalcites lucidus |
(Golden Bronze-Cuckoo, Chrysococcyx lucidus)
15–17 cm. Austral winter migrant, uncommon but widespread in savannah, gardens, plantations, second growth, and rarely forest canopy. Male located by whistled song, commonly heard on winter territories. Adult: A glittering, emerald cuckoo with white face speckled black; underparts banded by thick, dark, iridescent barring on white; little or no rufous in tail. Brown cap (except Male of race “lucidus,” mainly of SE Is). Male iris pale. Female iris dark brown; plumage similar, although usually duller, with slightly reduced speckling and barring and usually with obscure rufous spotting in spread undertail, where Male typically has none. Juv: Duller, with barring much reduced in face and throat, and ventral barring neither as extensive nor as prominent, nevertheless more so than other juv bronze cuckoos; iris dark. On wintering grounds, Juv undergoes molt to adultlike Imm plumage. Subspp: Only 1 race, lucidus, now recognized for all NG birds; however, Males often separable by plumage, Females not, into 2 forms: “plagosus” (breeds in AU) Male with more brown in plumage, particularly on crown, nape, and mantle; “lucidus” (breeds in NZ) Male evenly green from head to back. A better character is the bill, which in the hand is noticeably wider in the NZ birds. Similar spp: Little BC usually has rufous in plumage, especially in the tail, and male has a red eye. Horsfield’s BC has a dark eye-line. White-eared BC has a green face. Voice: Song a series of about a dozen identical, upslurred whistled notes; series declines slightly in pitch but not in rate, which is ~1.6 notes/sec, twice as fast as Horsfield’s, faster and shorter than White-eared, and much slower than Little’s. Series sometimes followed by a second series of downslurred notes (AU data). Habits: Usually remains hidden in treetops. Male sings regularly during winter on what may be his territory. Range: Population “plagosus” breeds in AU and winters throughout the NG Region; “lucidus” breeds mainly in NZ and winters in the NG Region mainly in the SE Is (recorded from Woodlark and Misima); 0–1900 m. Also SE Asia to AU.
White-eared Bronze Cuckoo Chalcites meyerii |
(Chrysococcyx meyeri)
14–15 cm. The resident forest bronze cuckoo of hills and mid-mountains, where uncommon. Rare in adjacent lowland forest and absent away from hills. Rufous patch at base of primaries at all ages. Adult: Boldly colored. Of the bronze cuckoos, White-eared has the darkest face with contrasting “white ear”; upperparts vary individually from deep iridescent emerald to coppery green; underparts white with thick, dark barring. Male: Eye and eye-ring red. Female: Dark eye and chestnut forehead, variable in extent. Juv: Rufous patch at base of primaries (some juv Little BC have this); otherwise plain greyish brown, much paler below and without barring. In flight: Bright rufous wing patch. Similar spp: Compare with co-occurring bronze cuckoos, Little (lowlands), Shining (second growth), and Rufous-throated (high mountains), but these are white or rufous in the face rather than green, and they have less pronounced barring below. Voice: Song is a diagnostic series of 5–8 high-pitched, bright, drawn-out, slightly plaintive, clear notes at the rate of 1/sec: peer peer peer … The series drops slightly in pitch, and there is a brief pause before the final note, which is at a lower pitch than others. (Similar call of Black Cicadabird is louder, richer, and lower pitched. One song of Brush Cuckoo is similar but louder, faster, with notes shorter and no pause before the last note.) Also a complex song, sounding somewhat like a cross between the calls of an accipiter and a cuckoo: 4 pairs of downslurred notes, the pairs rising and falling. Habits: The sole nonpasserine species regularly found in mixed-species foraging flocks of hill forest. Hosts and egg unknown. Range: Endemic. NG mts (records from all but Wandammen and Kumawa Mts on Bird’s Neck) and NW Is (Batanta), 0–1800 m.
(Malay Bronze-Cuckoo, Chrysococcyx malayanus. See Taxonomy, below.)
14–17 cm. A widespread resident of lowland forest and mangroves, where it is the most common bronze cuckoo. Some winter birds may be AU migrants. Smallest lowland bronze cuckoo. Typically a brownish-green cuckoo with underparts densely barred white and black. Variable: iridescence of upperparts variable in brightness of green; some birds have white forehead and eyebrow; breast with or without a rufous wash. Shows rufous in the spread undertail. Male eye and eye-ring red, these dark brown in Female. Juv: Dull version of the Adult with all-white underparts lacking barring or with faint, incomplete barring; some without rufous in the undertail; most lack rufous edges to the wing feathers (a trait of White-eared BC); eye dark. Subspp (3): poecilurus (NG resident, some possibly AU migrants, includes russatus) forehead and crown variably brown or green, upperparts bronze to bronze-green, breast oft en with rufous tinge, barred; misoriensis (Biak resident) upperparts bronze-green; barnardi and/or minutillus (AU migrant) forehead white, crown green, upperparts bronze green, underparts clean white barred black. Similar spp: Shining BC has thicker, wider-spaced barring in underparts and lacks red eye in male. Horsfield’s BC has black eye-line. White-eared BC has rufous patch on flight-feathers only and on crown of female; also note white ear. Voice: Two songs, both distinctive. (1) A very fast, steady, long trill of dozens of notes ~4 sec duration, increasing then decreasing in volume, easily overlooked because of its soft delivery. (2) A lilting, lightly whistled, descending series of 5–7 notes that slows and drops in pitch. Habits: Diffi cult to observe in treetops. In NG Region, hosts are mainly Large-billed Gerygone; a single additional record for Mangrove G. Egg glossy buff-olive, speckled especially at the large end. Range: NG, NW Is (Batanta, Gag, Gebe, Kofiau, Misool, Waigeo), Bay Is (Biak), Aru Is, Manam and Karkar Is, and SE Is (D’Entrecasteaux and Trobriand Is), 0–500 m (to 1400 m). SE Asia through Sunda Is, Philippine Is, Wallacea, and AU. Taxonomy: Geographic variation in this cuckoo is a most complex issue. In AU, 2 forms, sometimes treated as species, occur: Little Bronze Cuckoo (C. m. minutillus and barnardi) and Gould’s BC (C. m. poecilurus/russatus). However, birds in intermediate plumage could be (1) hybrids, or (2) plumage variants of Gould’s, or (3) just variants in a larger population combining both minutillus and russatus.
Pallid Cuckoo Heteroscenes pallidus |
(Cacomantis or Cuculus pallidus)
31–32 cm. Rare austral winter migrant to Trans-Fly savannah. Same size as Oriental C, but paler and with dark line behind the eye extending downward to side of the neck, dark iris, and a pale nape spot. Male: Variable, with whitish, unmarked breast and rather evenly grey mantle, although some birds have the crown and upperparts slightly darker and browner and have a small rufous patch on the back of the neck, below the white spot. White notching on mantle feathers wears with age, and some birds can appear dull grey. Female: Also variable, browner than Male with upperparts more heavily marked with brown and buff, rufous nape patch more conspicuous, and breast obscurely barred, heaviest on upper breast, although some birds are paler, approaching Male in appearance. Juv: By winter most have molted out of distinctively mottled white-and-black juvenile plumage and resemble Adults. Similar spp: Oriental C barred below. Brush and Fan-tailed Cs much smaller. Voice: Song a series of tonal notes rising in pitch. Habits: Feeds in trees or on the ground for caterpillars and large insects. Flight swift, undulating; profile falcon-like. Range: NG in Trans-Fly, plus 1 record from Bird’s Head (Momi). Also AU.
White-crowned Cuckoo Caliechthrus leucolophus |
(White-crowned Koel, Cacomantis leucolophus)
30–36 cm. An uncommon, medium-large, black cuckoo in hills and lower mountains, extending into nearby lowlands. A conspicuous voice in the hill forest canopy, but the bird itself is diffi cult to see. Adult: Unmistakable if seen well—distinguished from other black birds by white crown-stripe. When viewed from below note the (usually) white-tipped undertail-coverts and tail. Bill and iris dark. Plumage variation not understood—some birds faintly barred below. Juv: All black, with virtually no scaling. Similar spp: Eastern Koel male larger, with pale bill, red eye, crown all black, and no white feather tips. Voice: Distinctive—a loud, mournful song repeated over and over, consisting of 3 (or 4) descending whistled notes whir wher whur:
Alternate song is 3 or 4 clear notes, delivered rapidly on the same pitch, with a ringing, laughing quality: wher-wher-wher-wher. Also a single burry, downslurred whurr! Habits: Little known. Feeds on invertebrates and fruit. Hosts and egg unknown. Range: Endemic. NG and NW Is (Salawati and possibly Waigeo), 0–1900 m.
Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo Cacomantis castaneiventris |
(Cuculus castaneiventris)
20–23 cm. Common, widespread resident of forest interior, usually on hilly terrain, from lowlands to mid-mountains. Adult: Dark, blue-grey upperparts and bright rufous or chestnut underparts. Note bright yellow eye-ring and feet. Juv: Plain and unmarked; brownish grey above; white, buff, or brownish below, palest on belly; no barring. Subspp (3): Vary slightly in size and intensity of color, with SE birds darker and nearly identical to resident race of Fan-tailed C. Similar spp: Confusingly similar Fan-tailed C occurs mostly above the elevational range of Chestnut-breasted; see account for that species. Voice: Two songs, both similar to Fan-tailed. (1) A musical but mournful, descending, whistled trill of about a dozen notes, oft en repeated ~1/sec; very like song of Mountain and Yellow-billed Kingfishers, but last two are richer, longer, and end in a rising trill. (2) A mournful, slow, 3-note series in the same pattern as the 3-note series of the Brush C, but the triplets are much slower and usually not immediately repeated.
Habits: Perches inconspicuously in the forest, taking food from any level. Hosts are scrubwrens (Grey-green S and Tropical S reported). Range: NG, NW Is (Batanta, Misool, Salawati), Bay Is (Yapen), and Aru Is, 0–1500 m, rarely to 2500 m. Also AU.
Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis |
(C. pyrrhophanus or Cuculus pyrrhophanus)
26–28 cm. Uncommon resident of higher montane forests. Also rare austral winter migrant to southern lowlands and disturbed areas of intermontane valleys. Adult: Resident Adult similar to smaller Chestnut-breasted C from lower elevations, especially in SE, but usually darker and the underparts dull brown with extremely faint, fine barring on the breast and belly visible at close range. Migrant race much paler, with upperparts grey and underparts pale tan-brown. Tail feathers with upper surface notched on the outer edge with white, faintly in outermost tail feathers of resident race (hard to see), obvious in migratory race. Female: Noticeably paler than Male in each race, with lower flanks and breast finely barred and speckled with dark grey. Juv: Resident race variable. Upperparts uniform greyish brown; underparts grey or brownish grey, barred and speckled black. (Chestnut-breasted juv plain below, no barring or speckling.) Migrant race Juv paler and greyer, also faintly barred and speckled below, with overwintering birds molting into adultlike plumage. In both races the eye-ring is dull yellow, helpful for distinguishing them from barred female and juv Brush C and from smaller juvenile bronze cuckoos. Subspp (2): flabelliformis (AU migrant); excitus (NG resident). Similar spp: Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo. Brush Cuckoo smaller and paler and with inconspicuous eye-ring; some females and juvenile more heavily barred, especially on back. Voice: Two songs very similar to Chestnut-breasted but slower and first song of longer duration. Habits: More conspicuous but similar to Chestnut-breasted, which it replaces at higher elevations. Residents’ recorded hosts are White-shouldered Fairywren and Large Scrubwren. Egg is white, speckled with brown and grey all over (AU data). Range: Resident race in NG mts only (Bird’s Head, Central Ranges, and Huon), 1500–3000 m (1200–3900 m). Migratory AU race winters in NG (S Lowlands and E Ranges, but probably more widespread) and Aru Is, 0–2000 m. Also AU, New Caledonia, Solomon Is, to Fiji.
Brush Cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus |
(Grey-breasted Brush-Cuckoo, Cuculus variolosus)
19–23 cm. A common, widespread resident mainly of gardens and forest edge in lowlands and mid-mountains, less common in forest interior. Also an austral winter migrant. Voice is the single distinctive feature of this dully plumed, medium-sized cuckoo. Eye-ring and feet dull yellowish. Male: Plain brownish grey head and upperparts; grey throat and breast; buffy belly and undertail-coverts. Female: Polymorphic (1) plain morph, like Male with unbarred underparts, (2) intermediate morph, underparts faintly dark-barred, (3) barred morph, underparts more heavily barred and upperparts with feathers pale-notched and barred. Juv: Unmistakable as heavily notched and barred buff throughout. Subspp (3): Confusingly variable in depth of color; resident and migratory races not distinguishable in the field. Similar spp: Chestnut-breasted and Fan-tailed Cs have the eye-ring and feet bright yellow and the underparts chestnut; juv has plain dark brown back (no markings). Voice: Two distinct songs. (1) A series of similarly clear, high, whistled notes (3–16 notes;1 note/sec), each slightly downslurred, the series dropping in pitch slightly peer peer peer peeyr peeeyr … (2) A loud excited series of clear, fairly high-pitched whistled notes; notes come in groups of 3, sea to SEA, and are repeated 5–10 times and gradually rise up the scale, gain in speed and volume, and become more excited:
Habits: Perches in the treetops, where it sings or forages for caterpillars and other invertebrates. Recorded hosts in NG are White-shouldered Fairywren, Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, Brown-backed H, and Lemon-breasted Flycatcher; mainly small honeyeaters and flycatchers in AU (AU data). Egg white, or sometimes cream or pale brown, with band of grey to brown spots and blotches at large end (AU data). Range: Th roughout NG Region except outer SE Is (Trobriand, Woodlark, Misima, Tagula, Rossel), 0–1300 m, rarely to 1800 m. Also SE Asia to AU and Solomon Is.
Himalayan Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus |
(Oriental Cuckoo) Apparent vagrant to NW. Probably inseparable from Oriental C in NG Region, except for smaller size on average. See account for Oriental C. Expected to be silent on wintering range, but song differs from that of Oriental: a high note followed by 3 lower notes, hoop hoop or tun-tadun; Female call quick quick quick. Range: Distribution in NG Region unclear, but records so far only from NW Is (Waigeo) and Bird’s Head. Breeds in Himalayas and SE Asia; winters from Malay Pen reportedly east to NG.
Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus optatus |
(Horsfield’s Cuckoo, C. saturatus or horsfieldi)
29–34 cm. A regular Palearctic winter migrant during austral summer, widespread to open habitats such as gardens, savannah, and forest edge of lowlands and intermontane valleys. A medium-large cuckoo, unobtrusive and wary, usually with grey upperparts and white breast barred with black, but some Females brown and barred throughout; iris pale to brown. Most oft en seen in flight. Male: Clean grey upperparts and white breast with black barring. Female: Common grey morph resembles Male, but with faint rufous wash on neck and breast; rare “hepatic morph” with upperparts rufous brown and heavily barred throughout. Juv: Upperparts with white-edged feathers, but probably molting to adultlike plumage when in NG; iris dark. Similar spp: Himalayan C differs by song and smaller average size. Yellow-eyed Cuckooshrike has darker upperparts, is more closely barred below, and has shorter, squared, less graduated tail. See rare Pallid C. Voice: Silent in NG; but just in case, song is 4 low, hoop whistles, the first one soft; also a harsh call, gaak-gaak-gak-ak-ak-ak. Habits: Solitary. Oft en seen at forest edge and along rivers. Forages in canopy and from tree trunks for invertebrates, especially caterpillars. Near Port Moresby it gathers in teak plantations to feed on caterpillars. Swift flight; falcon-like profile. Range: Specimen records throughout NG mainland and from NW Is (Gebe, Misool, Salawati), Biak (Bay Is), Manam I, and Karkar I, 0–1600 m (1 record at 4400 m). Breeds in NE Asia, wintering from Malay Pen to AU. Taxonomy: Oriental Cuckoo (C. saturatus) split into Oriental C (C. optatus) of northern Asia and Himalayan C (H. saturatus) of the Himalayas and China; both in the books as wintering in NG Region, but this assumption should be reexamined. Only C. optatus regularly reaches AU.
The barn-owl family is distributed worldwide with 18 species and is composed mostly of a single genus, Tyto, suggesting a recent radiation of these successful birds. The 4 New Guinea Tyto species are all shared with Australia. In New Guinea, barn-owls occupy virtually all forest and nonforest habitats. Barn-owls are recognized by their heart-shaped face, dark eyes, speckled plumage lacking bars and streaks, and long legs. They forage in twilight and at night for rodents and small marsupials which they catch with their powerful taloned feet. Barn-owls are typically found alone, but they live in pairs and defend a breeding territory. Females are the larger sex, and parents share nesting duties. They roost and nest in tree hollows, among rocks, or in grass, depending on species. These sites are strewn with an accumulation of regurgitated pellets containing the fur and bones of prey—a gold mine of dietary information. Barn-owls most often reveal their presence by piercing screams, whistles, or hisses, but may sometimes be encountered at dusk or nighttime at the forest edge or other open habitat.
Sooty Owl Tyto tenebricosa |
(Greater Sooty Owl)
33–38 cm. This is the forest barn-owl of NG. Uncommon in forest and subalpine grasslands from the lowlands near the ranges to well above timberline. All plumages: The only sooty-colored NG owl. Some individuals darker than others. Looks deceptively pale when caught in the light of a torch or automobile headlight. Female: Larger. Downy chick: Also sooty (AU data). Subspp (1): arfaki (endemic). Similar spp: Other barn-owls have a whitish breast. Should not be confused with much smaller Barred Owlet-Nightjar, also sooty. Papuan Boobook has yellow eyes. Voice: Song is a far-carrying, tremulous, descending whistle that has been likened to a falling bomb, whinnying horse, or whistling teakettle. When birds are interacting, they produce bizarre whinnies, cacklings, and sputterings. Habits: Little known in NG. Strictly nocturnal and seldom seen. Feeds on marsupials, rodents, and bats. Prey taken from the ground or in trees. Roosts in tree hollow, rock crevice, or under tree roots or log. Nests in tree hollow. Eggs (2) white (AU data). Range: NG and Yapen (Bay Is), 0–4000 m. Also AU.
Australian Masked Owl Tyto novaehollandiae |
(Masked Owl)
38–43 cm. A little-known savannah owl from the Trans-Fly, where it is the only Tyto species. Largest NG barn-owl; powerfully built. All plumages: Similar to more widespread Australian Barn-Owl, but with separate range. Much larger than Australian BO, back and wings marked with dark grey, underparts heavily speckled black, and facial mask outlined with a thick dark border. Plumage individually variable, ranging from darker with buffy underparts, to paler with white underparts. Female: Larger. Downy chick: Cream (AU data). Subspp (1): calabyi (endemic). Similar spp: Australian BO. Eastern Grass-Owl with mantle and wings dark brown and less patterned; mask with dark border barely evident. Voice: Song is a loud rasping screech, ha-a-a-a-a (AU data). Calls include a rhythmic cackling, like the sound of a handle being wound (AU data). Habits: Similar to Australian BO but takes larger prey. Can be found roosting at the same site year after year. Roosts and nests in hollow of a large tree (especially eucalyptus) or cave (AU data). Eggs (2–3) white. Range: NG: Trans-Fly, 0–200 m. Also AU.
Australian Barn-Owl Tyto delicatula |
(Barn Owl or Eastern Barn Owl, Tyto alba or javanica)
30–33 cm. Frequents disturbed habitats close to people—roadsides, gardens, plantations, and forest edge. Found along N coast, in mid-mountain valleys, and in SE Pen. Uncommon. All plumages: Rather slender. Very pale, with white breast (faintly spotted at most). White facial disc with only a hint of a black border. Bird looks all white by auto headlight. Female: Larger on average and tends to be more buffy. Downy chick: White to pale grey (AU data). Subspp (1): meeki (endemic). Similar spp: Eastern Grass-Owl has dark mantle and wings; Australian BO often seen on ground, leading to confusion with grass-owl. Australian Masked Owl does not co-occur. Voice: Thin reedy screech sk-air or skee-air, in flight or perched (AU data). Habits: Seen singly. Forages in open and takes small rodents. Roosts and nests in tree hollow, old building, cave, or rock crevice (AU data). Eggs (3–6) white. Range: NG (Sepik-Ramu, E Ranges, Huon, and SE Pen) and Manam and Karkar Is, 0–1600 m. Also Wallacea to AU and Oceania. Taxonomy: Split from the formerly worldwide Barn-Owl (T. alba).
(Grass Owl, Tyto capensis)
30–36 cm. Patchily distributed in mid-montane grasslands; common where present. All plumages: A lanky, two-toned owl—dark grey-brown above with buffy white face and underparts. Upperparts heavily smudged brown on buff, plain-looking, with white speckling hardly visible. Long-faced and small-eyed compared with other barn-owls. Female: Larger on average. Downy chick: Buffy to tawny rufous (AU data). Subspp (2): papuensis (endemic). Similar spp: Australian Barn-Owl smaller and much paler above. Voice: A harsh, rasping screech, scairr. Contact call a soft, high-pitched cricket-like trilling (AU data). Habits: Somewhat more social than other barn-owls, with gatherings of a few birds. Forages at dusk and dawn over open grassland, taking mainly small rodents. Roosts and nests on the ground under tussocks of grasses and sedges (AU data). Eggs (3–8) white. Range: NG: W Ranges and E Ranges (no records from Border Ranges) and Huon, 1000–2500 m. Also India and E Asia to AU.
OWLS: Strigidae
Of the 211 species of typical owls known worldwide, only 6 inhabit New Guinea. The family has a long fossil record in Eurasia, from where it seems to have spread rather late to the Australasian region. Only 2 lineages are represented: the speciose hawk-owls (Ninox and Uroglaux) and the scops-owl (Otus), with 1 species. Owls are nocturnal predatory birds with slow flight and deep wingbeats. New Guinea species differ from barn-owls in having a smaller, rounder facial disc and yellow eyes. In New Guinea, owls are found primarily in the lowlands, although the Rufous Owl and Papuan Boobook range well up into the mountains. The smaller species prey on arthropods; larger species take small mammals and birds. Typical owls occur singly or in pairs, and they lay white eggs in a tree-hollow nest. Both parents share nesting duties. Most species are vocal and perhaps territorial. Sometimes owls can be found at their day roost in tree foliage or other shelter, and their location may be given away by the scolding of small forest birds. But more typically, owls are heard at night or seen at dusk flying at the forest edge or near a road.
Biak Scops-Owl Otus beccarii |
(Moluccan Scops-Owl, Otus magicus)
25 cm. Endemic to Biak forests, where it is the only owl. At night in the beam of a torch it appears to be a small, unpatterned owl with square head and inconspicuous ear tufts. Adult: Seemingly without pattern except for line of whitish spots above the shoulder. (Actually finely vermiculated all over, without shaft streaking.) Color morphs either tawny or dark grey-brown. Juv: No information, but probably small differences in pattern. Similar spp: Papuan Frogmouth and Large-tailed Nightjar are the only other night birds on Biak. Voice: Male song a series of hoarse croaking notes. Female call rick or ren ren ren … for long periods. Habits: Little known. Roosts in tree foliage. Eats insects. Nests probably in tree hole; no nesting material. Eggs (no.?) white. Range: Endemic. Biak (Bay Is), 0–1000 m. Taxonomy: Split from Moluccan Scops-Owl (O. magicus).
Rufous Owl Ninox rufa |
(Rufous Boobook)
41–51 cm. Rare and little known in lowland, hill, and mid-mountain forest. Adult: A large, robust owl, finely barred below as well as above. Individuals vary in shade of rufous brown. Male: Larger on average (AU data). Juv: Similar to Adult, but downy young have white head and underparts and a dark mask. Subspp (2): humeralis (NG); aruensis (Aru Is) smaller. Similar spp: Papuan Hawk-Owl, the only other barred owl, has streaked underparts. Voice: Generally quiet. Song is 2 low notes, softer and less clear than that of Barking O, transcribed as woo-hoo or mumph-mumph. Habits: Little known in NG. Best discovered during the day by listening for the agitated twittering of small birds scolding an owl at its tree crown roost. In AU, preys mainly on mammals, including flying foxes. Nests in a large tree cavity; no nesting material (AU data). Eggs (2) white. Range: NG, Waigeo I (NW Is), and Aru Is, 0–1800 m. Also AU.
33–36 cm. Locally common in open habitats in eastern lowlands. All plumages: More slender and small-headed than boobook owls. Upperparts brown; underparts white with neat brown streaking (each feather with a straight brown line). Male: Larger on average (AU data). Subspp (1): assimilis (endemic). Similar spp: Southern Boobook is smaller, with rusty upperparts, chin, legs, and tail; underparts white-and-brown mottled. Papuan Hawk-Owl slimmer and with heavily barred mantle, wings, and tail. Voice: May call during the daytime, as well as at night. Song is a doglike barking: 2 quick, short notes of medium pitch, the second note lower. Male, wuf-wuf; Female, higher pitched wok-wok. Habits: Inhabits forest openings, edge, plantations, and scrub. Usually in pairs or small groups. Feeds mostly on insects. Nests in tree hollow; no nesting material (AU data). Eggs (2–3) white. Range: NG and Manam and Karkar Is, 0–200 m. NG: Sepik-Ramu, S Lowlands, and Trans-Fly eastward. Also AU and Moluccas.
Southern Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiae |
(Common or Australian Boobook, N. boobook)
25–28 cm. Trans-Fly savannahs only. All plumages: A small, reddish-brown owl; underparts with messy white and red-brown mottling; face with dark mask. Breast-feather pattern differs from that of Barking O: the dark markings on each feather being hourglass-shaped, creating a coarse, white-spotted effect. Subspp (1): pusilla (endemic). Similar spp: Barking O is larger, dark brown above, and white underparts have neat, long, dark streaking. Voice: Song boo-book (AU data). Habits: Little known in NG. Roosts during the day high in trees, sometimes in small groups that are mobbed by honeyeaters and other small birds. In AU feeds mainly on insects. Nesting similar to Barking O (AU data). Range: NG Trans-Fly, 0–100 m. Also AU and NZ. Taxonomy: Some authorities split the AU and NG populations (N. boobook) from the Morepork (N. novaeseelandiae) of NZ.
Papuan Boobook Ninox theomacha |
(Jungle Boobook or Jungle Hawk Owl)
25–28 cm. The common forest owl, from sea level to cloud forest. All plumages: Chocolate brown all over. Subspp (4, in 2 groups): theomacha (NG, NW Is) no markings; goldii (SE Is.) larger, pale spotting on shoulders and breast. Similar spp: Other owls either streaked or barred below. Sooty O much larger, blackish, and has dark eyes. Voice: Vocal. Song is an emphatically uttered pair of identical, slightly hoarse notes at medium pitch, each strongly downslurred: hyu-hyu or kyo-kyo, repeated every 3–4 secs. Habits: A familiar nocturnal inhabitant of forest and gardens. Often close to human habitation and may be seen taking insects attracted to lights. Solitary or in pairs. Feeds primarily on large insects. Nests in a tree hollow; no nesting material. Eggs (2) white. Range: Endemic. NG, NW Is (Misool and Waigeo), and SE Is (3 main D’Entrecasteaux Is, plus Tagula and Rossel Is), 0–2500 m. Taxonomy: Classification of goldii uncertain—may instead be its own species or possibly a race of Southern Boobook.
Papuan Hawk-Owl Uroglaux dimorpha |
30–33 cm. A rare and little-known owl of lowland and hill forest. Note distinctive hawklike shape with small head and long tail that is finely barred. Adult: Underparts white or buff with fine dark streaking; upperparts brown and barred. Some birds paler, others darker. Juv: Similar to Adult, but downy Juv with white head and underparts, and lacks black mask of Rufous O. Similar spp: Barking O has thicker streaking below and is not barred on the back. Rufous O also barred above but is much larger and darker below with fine barring. Doria’s Goshawk has similar color pattern but is obviously a hawk and is much larger and has a longer tail. Voice: Song a series of slow-paced, double hoo notes of medium pitch (higher than Rufous Owl, lower than Papuan Boobook); notes ~1 sec apart, phrases ~2 sec apart. Habits: A mysterious owl of the forest interior and edge. Feeds on insects, birds, and rodents. No nesting information. Range: Endemic. NG and Yapen I (Bay Is), 0–1500 m. Spottily reported but probably throughout NG mainland.
This small family of tropical night birds (16 spp) ranges from India through SE Asia to Australasia. The 2 New Guinea species are shared with Australia, and these are sometimes classified as a family separate from the Asian birds. Frogmouths are large nocturnal birds with an oversized and wide head, heavy bill, short weak legs, and a long, pointed tail. They perch motionless on a thick branch and appear to be no more than another piece of wood. The head is characteristically held beak upward while the bird watches its observer obliquely through half-closed eyes. The 2 species broadly co-occur and are much alike, differing mainly in size and voice. They feed mostly on insects taken from the ground or trees. Their diet also includes small vertebrates. The often-heard songs are repetitive series of humming notes. The small, flat nest is built on a tree branch. Frogmouths can be readily seen in towns and at the forest edge, either by asking residents for the location of roosting or nesting birds or by searching at night along a road, river, or forest edge.
Marbled Frogmouth Podargus ocellatus |
33–38 cm. Common in lowland and hill forest and edge. Distinguished from Papuan F by voice and size (Marbled two-thirds the size of Papuan). Complex plumage pattern resembles Papuan, including much plumage variation and some overlap between the sexes. Male: Usually overall grey or brown, with much coarse white spotting, especially on throat and breast. Female: Usually overall rufous, with finer buffy spotting (or scarcely any)—a plainer, smoother-looking bird; pale eyebrow and scapular streak often less prominent. Juv: Similar to Adult, but look for fragments of down clinging to feather tips. Subspp (3): ocellatus (all NG range except SE Is); meeki (SE Is: Tagula) no obvious sexual dimorphism in plumage, both sexes coarsely marked, plumages tending toward grey and brown rather than rufous; intermedius (SE Is: D’Entrecasteaux and Trobriand Is) larger, plumages similar to mainland race. Voice: Readily distinguished from song of Papuan F by its fewer notes and higher pitch. Song a haunting series of 4–6 drawn-out, slightly upslurred, hummed notes with an insistent quality; hoooa hoooa hoooa hoooa. Also an excited song that starts high and descends the scale rapidly, a rolling series of trilled notes, ending with a distinct clap made by the snapped bill. D’Entrecasteaux frogmouth gives typical song, but the excited series is a rapid hoo-woo, clap! Habits: Typical for a frogmouth. Scant stick nest. Egg (1) white. Range: NG, NW Is (Misool, Salawati, Waigeo), Bay Is (Mios Num, Yapen), Aru Is, and SE Is (3 main D’Entrecasteaux Is, Trobriand Is, and Tagula I), 0–1500 m. Also AU.
Papuan Frogmouth Podargus papuensis |
46–53 cm. Common in lowland and hill forest and openings. More apt than Marbled F to occur in open habitats such as towns and parks. Identified by voice and large size, otherwise resembles Marbled F. Much plumage variation and some overlap between the sexes. Male: Grey or brown, always with underparts marbled with white blotches highlighted by black borders; scapulars patterned with white spots and black markings; more massive bill. Female: Usually greyish brown, underparts normally lacking marbling, or with only a few blotches on belly; scapulars smooth-textured, unpatterned, or obscurely patterned buffy. Juv: As with Marbled. Voice: A very low, resonant, slightly rising, and monotonously repeated series of 9–15 notes: ooom ooom ooom … sometimes repeated for long periods. Habits: Typical for a frogmouth. Nest and egg similar to Marbled. Range: NG, NW Is (Batanta, Misool, Salawati, Waigeo), Bay Is (Biak, Numfor, Yapen), and Aru Is, 0–1000 m, locally to 2000 m. Also AU.
The nightjars include 95 species of cryptic, nocturnal birds. The family is found throughout the world. Three species reside in the New Guinea Region, another is an uncommon Australian migrant, and 2 others are vagrants. Two genera are present: Eurostopodus, mostly in Australasia, and Caprimulgus, represented here by mainly Asian species. Nightjars in the New Guinea Region occur in lowland forests, second growth, and savannah; in the mountains they inhabit only man-made grasslands, cloud forest, and subalpine heath and moors. With long wings and tail and short, weak legs, a resting nightjar holds its body in a characteristic horizontal posture. During the day, nightjars roost on the ground or on a tree branch, substrates so closely matched by their camouflaged plumage that a bird is usually overlooked until it is flushed. Nightjars forage by sitting motionless on an exposed perch (often on a path or road) and flying swiftly upward to ambush passing insects. They also course back and forth over forest and clearings and may take a break by alighting on a branch. Nightjars are found alone or in pairs. All species lay their eggs on the ground without preparing any sort of nest. They sing at night, exclusively or mainly when breeding.
Nightjar species look much alike and are difficult to identify. Particular attention should be paid to shape (does the tip of the folded wing reach the tip of the tail?), the presence or absence of white signaling patches in the wing or tail, and the details of their beautiful and wonderfully cryptic plumage (but individual variation in plumage can be expected). The Eurostopodus nightjars lack rictal bristles fringing their mouth and an obvious, pale moustache-stripe. All species are uncommon and noteworthy. In flight, these dark nightjars lack white patches evident on the primaries and outer tail feathers; the wing is narrow and pointed. The Caprimulgus nightjars show prominent rictal bristles and white moustache-stripe and white wing and tail patches. The wing shape is shorter and more rounded. One Caprimulgus species, the Large-tailed Nightjar, is the common species to which all other New Guinea nightjars are compared.
Look for nightjars hawking insects at dusk or dawn. Flying nightjars silhouetted in the twilight can be recognized by their flight of flaps and glides on wings held upward in a V. During the day, nightjars are most often encountered when they are flushed from the ground. Nightjars perched in trees have been discovered when betrayed by the scolding of small birds.
Spotted Nightjar Eurostopodus argus |
(E. guttatus)
27–35 cm. Vagrant to Aru Is but could turn up elsewhere, especially in the Trans-Fly. An austral winter migrant from AU to open habitats in lowlands. Adult: Comparatively pale nightjar with buffy band across scapulars made up of sharp streaking (suggesting dried grass); buffy spotting on wing-coverts. White patch on the primaries, but not on tips of outer tail feathers. Juv: Pale rufous brown, finely and uniformly patterned, without streaked scapulars; primaries with obvious pale tips. Imm: Like grey version of Adult; has streaky mantle, but retains Juv primaries with pale tips. Migrant young birds in NG would be expected to be in Imm plumage, or in transition from Juv to Imm plumage. Similar spp: Other nightjars lack sharp scapular streaking and combination of white patch on primaries but not on tail. Voice: Probably silent in NG. Song, a weird laugh beginning with accelerating cawing and ending in gobbled notes (AU data). Habits: In AU, inhabits dry woodland and savannah. Foraging behavior similar to White-throated N. Roosts on the ground. Range: Aru Is, plus a possible sighting from Trans-Fly (at Obo). Breeds AU.
White-throated Nightjar Eurostopodus mystacalis |
(E. albogularis)
30–35 cm. An uncommon austral winter migrant from AU to open habitats at low to mid-elevations, including intermontane valleys, same habitats as Large-tailed N. Adult: Large, grey nightjar said to resemble discarded eucalyptus bark. Typically has a thick, grey band along the scapulars, and another across wing-coverts. Long falcon-like wings, which when folded nearly reach tail tip. Primaries and tail without white markings. (The few small white spots on outer primaries do not show.) Juv: Rufous brown, more finely and uniformly patterned than Adult; primaries with obvious brown tips. Imm: Similar to Adult, but retains Juv primaries with pale tips. Migrant young bird in NG would be expected to be in Imm plumage, or in transition from Juv to Imm. Similar spp: Large-tailed N with white patches in primaries and tail; tip of folded wing falls well short of tail tip. Papuan N smaller, brownish, and without grey band across scapulars. Spotted N with narrow buff band across scapulars and with white patch on primaries. Voice: Generally silent in NG? Song, 3–4 mellow ascending whistles followed by a rapid, accelerating chuckle not ending in gobble notes (AU data). Habits: Poorly known in NG. Solitary. Hawks night-flying insects over clearings, rivers, and forest. Mostly keeps level with or above treetops in straight runs or broad, open circuits, higher and less erratic than Large-tailed N. Flaps, then glides with wings held in a dihedral V. Roosts on the ground or in thickets. Range: Eastern and central NG, 0–1650 m. Breeds in AU.
Papuan Nightjar Eurostopodus papuensis |
25–28 cm. Uncommon lowland forest nightjar of gaps and edge, such as river courses. Adult: Dark, marked with grey tertials and buff scapular patch that contrast with the dark wing. Wings and tail without white markings. Breast with horizontal rows of buff spots. Juv: Very different. Milk-chocolate colored with black markings much reduced; round black spots on center of crown. Similar spp: Large-tailed N has vermiculated, greyish wing-coverts, with pale spots more evident; tail proportionately longer; and white markings in primaries and tail. White-throated N larger and has more greyish back and tail. Voice: Sings perched or on the wing. Song, an infrequently heard but distinct series of 4 notes, coo coo coo coo, rapidly delivered. Call described as a low throaty chattering note. Habits: Poorly known. Solitary or in pairs. Active after dark. Forages over forest and breaks such as rivers. Hawks for insects. Perches in trees and on ground. Nests under thicket at edge of clearing; egg laid on ground. Egg (1) pale brown, heavily blotched in shades of brown. Range: Endemic. NG and Salawati (NW Is), 0–400 m.
Archbold’s Nightjar Eurostopodus archboldi |
(Mountain Nightjar)
26–30 cm. The only high-mountain nightjar. Rare inhabitant of cloud forest gaps and edges and alpine heaths and moors. Adult: Blackish, appearing lichen-encrusted, with mottling of silvery grey blotches and golden buff spots. Prominent grey eyebrow. Underparts black, conspicuously spotted buff or white. No white patches in primaries or tail. Juv: Very different. Ashy grey throughout; black eye-patch; black spots and diamonds on upperparts; line of large black spots running along scapulars; sooty-barred underparts with a few scattered rufous feathers. Similar spp: None in habitat. Voice: Mostly silent. Voice poorly known (odd, as the species is occasionally seen by birders). Reported to be a quiet guttural flight-note. Habits: Solitary or in pairs. Hawks insects in twilight or darkness, low over forest and in clearings; also sallies from branch or fallen log, often returning to the same perch. Roosts on branch or ground. Nests in forest clearing or edge; egg laid on ground. Egg (1) white. Range: Endemic. NG: Bird’s Head (Arfak Mts), Central Ranges, and Huon, 2200–3260 m.
Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus jotaka |
(Jungle Nightjar, C. indicus)
25–28 cm. Vagrant; 1 record from Bird’s Head, but could turn up elsewhere in West. A Palearctic migrant during austral summer; presumably of open habitats in NG. Adult: Dark greyish to brownish grey nightjar with plumage rather obscurely and evenly textured, without bold markings. Folded wings nearly reach tip of tail. Male: White tips to outer tail feathers and small white patch on longest primaries. Female and Juv: These markings narrower and buff, obscure. Subspp (1): jotaka (breeds E Asia, winters SE Asia, Greater Sunda Is, Philippine Is). Similar spp: Large-tailed N has more prominent white markings in wing and tail, boldly patterned brown plumage, and folded wings far shorter than long tail. Voice: Presumably mostly silent in NG, perhaps sings prior to northward migration. Song, a long rapid series, tuck tuck tuck … delivered at 3–4 notes/sec, faster than Large-tailed N. Habits: Similar to Large-tailed N. Range: Recorded once from NG: Bird’s Head (Manokwari). Breeds in Asia. Taxonomy: Split from Jungle Nightjar (C. indicus) of India.
Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus |
25–28 cm. The common open-country, roadside nightjar from lowlands to mid-mountain valleys. Announces its presence nightly during breeding season with loud knocking song. Adult: White patches on the primaries and tail usually evident when perched or in flight. Perched birds rather boldly patterned but individually variable; shoulders with 2 rows of buff spots formed by the pale-tipped wing-coverts; obvious, white-based rictal bristles and white gape streak (lacking in Eurostopodus nightjars). Folded wings do not reach tip of long tail. Male: Wing and tail patches large and white. Female: Patches smaller, buff. Juv: Poorly known; wing-covert spots much less prominent, primaries tipped rufous. In flight: Shorter, rounder wings than Eurostopodus nightjars; white patches show in wings and tail. Subspp (1): schlegelii (Australasia and E Wallacea). Similar spp: All other nightjars, including White-throated and Papuan that overlap in habitat, lack white patches in both tail and wings, but see vagrant Grey N. Voice: Song, a loud series of around 10 staccato notes, slightly less than 2/sec, tok tok tok …, a monotonous chopping or knocking. Calls are very different and often mistaken for another night bird, a series of soft croaking or grunting notes. Habits: Most often seen flushed up from roads at night. Singly or in pairs. Sallies from perch for insects; also hawks, usually below treetop level in the confined space of a clearing. Flight maneuverable, involves fluttering, gliding, and swooping on a twisting or circular route. Roosts on ground or often in trees. Nests at edge of forest; egg laid on bare ground. Eggs (2) whitish, indistinctly blotched brown and grey. Range: NG, NW Is (Batanta, Gag, Kofiau, Misool, Salawati, Waigeo), Bay Is (Biak, Yapen), Aru Is, Manam and Karkar Is, and SE Is (3 main D’Entrecasteaux Is, Tagula I), 0–1740 m. Also S Asia to N AU.
OWLET-NIGHTJARS: Aegothelidae
Few birds are as special to the New Guinea Region as the owlet-nightjars. Seven of the 10 species included in this family are found only in our region, and an eighth species is shared with Australia; 2 other species occur elsewhere, in the nearby N Moluccas and New Caledonia. Surprisingly, the owlet-nightjars are most closely related to the diurnal swifts, treeswifts, and hummingbirds, an archaic group of families that long ago split off from nightjars and other night birds. In shape and ground-feeding habits, owlet-nightjars resemble tiny frogmouths. Unlike frogmouths, the owlet-nightjars have a long, rounded tail, and the bill is framed by their signature feature, a complex array of whiskers. In the dark, whiskers may help the bird detect objects near its face in the same way a cat uses its whiskers. The whiskers and the large, owlish eyes give owlet-nightjars an appealing mammal-like face. Active only at night, owlet-nightjars feed on diverse insects and other invertebrates taken on the ground and from tree trunks, branches, and vegetation. Their usual mode of prey capture is by pouncing, either from a perch or by hopping along the ground. They also sally for flying insects.
Studies of the Australian Owlet-nightjar reveal this species to be highly territorial, defending its patch of forest by calling. Presumably the NG species behave similarly—they are certainly vocal and can be heard throughout the night. Songs of NG owlet-nightjars are usually a simple series of repeated notes; depending on species, these comprise hoarse whistles, muffled yapping, or squeaking; however, study is needed before vocalizations can be used as a reliable means of identifying species. During the day, the smaller owlet-nightjars roost in tree hollows, whereas the larger ones (Feline and perhaps Starry) roost in vegetation at least occasionally. Owlet-nightjars occupy one roost for a period of nights before moving to another. It is at tree hollows where they are most often seen, sitting in the entrance, resting motionless, staring outward. They also nest inside such hideaways, often choosing a vertical hollow inside the trunk of a dead tree.
Although lacking the glamour of other New Guinea novelties, owlet-nightjars are much sought by birders. These night birds are less elusive than one might think, living at the outskirts of towns and villages and on the grounds of lodges and bush-camps. Calling birds are often not evident until after the human world has settled down for the night. Owlet-nightjars can be quite tame, yet they are hard to spot with a headlamp, for they sit motionless among the foliage and do not show eye-shine. During the day, one can locate owlet-nightjars by scanning tree hollows for a small possum-like face. Identifying an owlet-nightjar to species may be difficult, especially because the plumages of some species are so individually variable. Owlet-nightjar species can be assigned to 3 groups: the large species with white striping (Feline and Starry), the small species with white flecks on the wing-coverts (Wallace’s, Mountain, and Archbold’s), and the small, barred species showing no white flecks on the wings (Mimic, Barred, and Australian). Much remains to be learned about owlet-nightjar distribution and all aspects of their lives in the wild.
(Large Owlet-nightjar, Euaegotheles insignis)
25–30 cm. Uncommon in montane forests. Largest owlet-nightjar, strikingly patterned with white or buff stripes on the face and underparts. Adult: Ranges from rufous to brown. All show a distinctive facial pattern with a thick white eyebrow and a broad white stripe from chin to throat, and underparts marked by 3 broad white stripes, 1 down the middle and 1 on each flank. Short, rounded feather “horns” above eyes usually folded away. Adult plumage with some dark, stippled barring, at least on wings. Juv: Rufous only, body plumage and wings lacks barring. White markings brighter, enhanced by upraised feather tips. Subspp: Birds from N Coastal and Adelbert Mts smaller, but not racially distinct. Similar spp: Mountain ONJ much smaller, lacks such pronounced white markings. Starry ONJ in lowlands, not mountains. Voice: Song, a moaning and haunting series of 3 (2–5) unpleasant, hoarse whistles of medium pitch, each note usually a half tone higher than the preceding, the last notes coarser: whor … whor, whor. Can sound human—a startled, gasping scream, ah … ah, ah! Habits: Little known. Solitary. Inhabits forest interior and edge (Juv). Diet of insects (beetles often noted) and other arthropods, presumably from vegetation and ground. Usually seen by day when flushed from its daytime roost in cluster of dead leaves or vine tangle in the forest midstory. Possibly roosts/nests in tree hollows. No nesting information. Range: Endemic. NG mts (records from all but Fakfak, Kumawa, and Cyclops Mts), 1200–2800 m.
Starry Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles tatei |
(Spangled Owlet-nightjar, Euaegotheles tatei)
23 cm. Recently rediscovered and so far known from only 2 localities. Rare along rivers winding through low, hilly country covered in thick, tall forest. A slender owlet-nightjar, with short, tight plumage. Always bright rufous, so far as known. Feather horns curve above the eye and taper to a point. Smaller than Feline ONJ. Adult: Similar to rufous morph Feline but differs in having tail with white dorsal bars and rufous lores (not white). Adult (vs Juv) may show frosty pale barring (buff or white) on the breast and belly and tiny starry spots on back and scapulars. Juv: Lacks barring and star-spots. In the hand: Unlike other owlet-nightjars, lacks filamentous tips to feathers of face, chin, throat, and breast; ear-coverts stiff and bristly, not soft; rictal semibristles have short tips; tarsus short. Similar spp: None in its habitat. Voice: Song similar to Feline ONJ but notes higher pitched, usually 4, whor … whor … whor, whor. Readily mimicked. Call, given after singing in response to playback, a sharp medium-pitched squeak, peh! Habits: Solitary and little known. Keeps to the upper midstory and canopy. Its structural features suggest a departure from the typical owlet-nightjar mode of prey capture by pouncing. There are a few records of single birds being flushed from a daytime roost on a perch a few meters up inside the forest. Range: Endemic. NG: central S Lowlands (upper reaches of Fly R near Kiunga) and southern SE Pen (inland of Amazon Bay), 30–80 m (probably much broader). Taxonomy: Split from Feline ONJ.
Wallace’s Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles wallacii |
20–23 cm. Rare and sparsely distributed in hill and lower montane forest, plus flat lowland forest near foothills. This is the hill forest counterpart of the Mountain ONJ. All plumages: Dark above, charcoal grey or blackish, obscurely barred giving finely mottled texture without distinct pattern; no pale collar (some have an indistinct collar). To best separate from Barred ONJ, look for fine, white, streaky spots on scapulars and wing-coverts, lacking in Barred. Underparts vary from pale with few markings to dark with heavy chevron marks. Buffy chin and throat contrasting with dark sides of neck. Subspp: Local populations vary by size. Similar spp: Barred and Allied ONJs are distinctly barred, usually not as dark above, and lack white spots on wing-coverts. Mountain ONJ more coarsely patterned. Voice: Song, a pretty series of rapid, squeaky whistles, per pew-pew, or peer pew, or variation. Habits: Little known. Solitary, in forest and edge. Behavior presumably like Mountain ONJ. No nesting information. Range: Endemic. NG and Aru Is, plus sightings from Waigeo (NW Is). Most of NG, but absent from Huon and SE Pen and no record yet for Bird’s Neck, NW Lowlands, and E Sepik-Ramu; 80–1500 m.
18–20 cm. Mountain forests. Common and ubiquitous from mid-mountains to timberline, except in the Western and Border Ranges, where poorly known and seemingly patchy and in mid-mountains only. The small montane owlet-nightjar, lacking white facial and breast streaks of the larger Feline ONJ. All plumages: Amazingly variable. Brown, grey, rufous, or shades and combinations thereof. Dark or pale. Variously mottled and barred; breast with irregular dark spots and streaks. Usually with a distinct pale collar. Note white, streaky flecks on wing-coverts. Subspp: Patterns of geographic variation are obscured by the large degree of individual variation. Similar spp: See Archbold’s ONJ. Wallace’s ONJ occurs at lower elevations and is more finely patterned. Voice: Call (or song?) a steady series of explosive squeaks, each note a second or more apart, ee! … ee! … ee!…. Sometimes double-noted. Also a faster series of the same notes, rapid at first, then slowing. Habits: Solitary. Usually seen by day perched motionless at the entrance of a tree hollow with only head and foreparts visible. At night, forages for insects within the forest and in small openings, taking food from vegetation and the ground. Diet includes insects, especially beetles, and earthworms. Range: Endemic. Most NG mts: Bird’s Head, Kumawa Mts, Wandammen Mts, Central Ranges, Foja Mts, and Huon (no information for Fakfak and Cyclops Mts), 1200–2800 m (1000–3300 m). Taxonomy: Likely includes Archbold’s ONJ as a series of color morphs.
Archbold’s Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles archboldi |
18–20 cm. Counterpart of Mountain ONJ in high mountains of Western and Border Ranges. Usually ranked as a species, but intermediate birds exist between it and Mountain, and the 2 species are not safely separable. Archbold’s is more richly colored and heavily mottled, especially on the breast; it shows reduced barring on body; and the tail bars are usually solid. As both forms are highly variable, and as birds of one form exist in the range of the other, it is possible that they are little more than variants along a continuum of plumage patterns (irrespective of color), with boldly patterned archboldi prevalent in the high-elevation cloud forests of the West. Mountain ONJ ranges throughout, though locally missing or scarce in the W Ranges, where it is found together with Archbold’s but at the lower end of the elevational range. It is more finely patterned, with definite barring on sides of neck, and is often less color-saturated; the tail bars are usually broken. Range: Endemic. NG: W Ranges and Border Ranges, although a few high-elevation birds of E Ranges and SE Pen fit the description, 2200–3600 m.
Barred Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles bennettii |
20–23 cm. The common owlet-nightjar of lowland and hill forest and edge. All plumages: Dark charcoal grey, finely barred, and paler below. (A few mainland birds with brownish cast; D’Entrecasteaux Is birds always with buff cast.) Usually lacks brown on cheeks (compare with Australian ONJ), unless plumage is overall brownish. Face has an indistinct black eyebrow or mask and usually an obvious whitish hind-collar. In the hand: Primary no. 7 nearly always longest. Subspp (4, in 2 groups): bennettii (lowlands of mainland NG) nearly always charcoal grey and barred across breast (no dark streaking), folded wing (flattened) 117–139 mm; terborghi (E Ranges: Karimui) similar to bennettii in plumage, but much larger in size, folded wing 155 mm; plumifer (D’Entrecasteaux Is) washed buff, especially on head and breast, and with dark shaft streaking as well as barring on breast, folded wing 111–124 mm. Similar spp: Australian ONJ, co-occurring in savannah country, is very similar but paler, showing buff or rust on cheeks; see that account. Allied ONJ in mountain forests of Bird’s Head fluffier and with brownish cast. Wallace’s ONJ has buffy streak down throat and shows white flecks on wing-coverts. Voice: Song, an unevenly paced series of muffled yapping barks, suggesting a small dog, ap … ap … ap … ap…. Sometimes ~20 squeaky notes, chyek … chyek…. Habits: Little information. Solitary, usually seen perched at entrance of tree hollow roost. Foraging behavior not described but likely similar to Australian ONJ and Mountain ONJ. Nest, no information, but presumably in tree hollow. Eggs (clutch?) white. Range: Endemic. NG and SE Is (3 main D’Entrecasteaux Is); bennettii 0–800 m; terborghi 1100 m; plumifer 800–1100 m, probably broader. Eastern NG, westward to eastern NW Lowlands and Trans-Fly. Taxonomy: Subsp terborghi is huge compared with other Barred and Australian ONJs, and a DNA study grouped it with Allied ONJ rather than Barred. Alternatively, terborghi may be a distinct species living in the lower montane forests along the southern escarpment of the Central Ranges; more sampling is needed before the issue can be settled. Subsp plumifer has distinct plumage color and pattern, but a DNA study placed it within bennettii rather than as a separate species.
(Vogelkop Owlet-nightjar)
23 cm. Lower montane forests of Bird’s Head. All plumages: Barred pattern like Barred ONJ but with brownish cast and bird thickly feathered, producing plump shape with large head. Washed buffy brown, with buff cheeks and whitish belly. Head coarsely patterned. Most birds show a distinct pale collar. Similar spp: Barred ONJ absent from Bird’s Head; inhabits lowlands; usually lacks brown in plumage and possesses shorter, tighter feathering for a slimmer shape with smaller head; white on belly usually either more restricted or lacking. Wallace’s ONJ may co-occur but is darker and has pale streak down center of throat and small whitish flecks on the wing-coverts. Voice: No information. Habits: No information. Range: Endemic. NG: Bird’s Head (Arfak Mts), elevational range not yet defined, somewhere within 800–1500 m and perhaps lower. Taxonomy: Split from Barred ONJ or Australian ONJ. May include A. bennettii terborghi, see account above.
Australian Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles cristatus |
23–24 cm. The pale owlet-nightjar of southern savannahs and open country; apparently common around Port Moresby. All plumages: Medium grey above (paler than Barred ONJ), with mostly white breast and belly (these usually more darkly barred in Barred ONJ). Some birds with brown wash. Always with faint buff or rust color on cheeks. Distinct pale hind-collar bordered with a dark line above and below. In the hand: Primary no. 8 nearly always longest. Subspp: Birds of Port Moresby area are same size as Barred ONJ (wing arc 122–131 mm). Trans-Fly birds larger (wing 134–146 mm). Similar spp: Barred ONJ darker, often much darker; lacks any brown on cheek unless overall plumage has brownish cast (rare). Voice: Port Moresby birds described as giving a repeated shriek. Song in AU, a single- or double-noted repeated series, the second note at lower pitch, chur chur; also a call, kair! Habits: In territorial pairs, but usually encountered alone. Feeds on insects and other invertebrates taken by sallying or pouncing. Seen sitting on the ground beside the road. Roosts and nests in tree hollows; nest unlined or scantly lined with leaves, grass, bark, or fur (AU data). Eggs (~4) white. Range: NG: Trans-Fly and Port Moresby area of SE Pen, 0–100 m. Also AU.
TREESWIFTS: Hemiprocnidae
A small family (4 spp) ranging from India to the Solomon Is, with 1 species in the New Guinea Region. A medium-sized aerial bird with a small body, long slim wings, broad head, and a tail that is long and forked. Much larger than the swiftlets or swallows. Unlike true swifts, treeswifts have strong enough legs and feet to perch upright on a branch. Flight often consists of graceful circuits starting from an exposed, high perch in a forest clearing or garden edge. Sometimes makes long flights hundreds of feet above the ground. Feeds on insects captured in flight. Somewhat vocal and sociable, occasionally in large flocks. One white egg is laid in a tiny cup nest on a tree limb.
Moustached Treeswift Hemiprocne mystacea |
28–30 cm. Common in lowlands and foothills, favoring forest edge at clearings, roadways, rivers. A very large swift with long, curved, pointed wings and long, deeply forked tail. When folded, tail looks like a long spike. Adult: Sooty grey with glossy blue wings and crown and white eyebrow and moustache plumes. Male has a small chestnut patch on ear-coverts, lacking in Female. Juv: Mottled black, rufous, buff, and white. Similar spp: Fork-tailed Swift has a white rump and throat, less prominently forked tail, no “moustache,” and flies very differently. Voice: Diagnostic. Call a loud, clear, drawn-out, single downslurred note, kyee; somewhat hawklike but shorter and usually only repeated 2–3 times at ~1 sec intervals. Also a series of muted, upslurred, softly whistled notes owee wee wee wee. Habits: Usually occurs singly or in pairs, but occasionally gathers in flocks, sometimes of hundreds. During day, perches on high snag overlooking gardens or other open habitat. Lights out after flying prey, then circles back to perch. At dawn and dusk becomes more active in the twilight, energetically hawking flying insects with dashing flight. Nest built on a bare, horizontal branch; nest a small saucer of feathers and plant material cemented with saliva, hidden under sitting Adult. Egg (1) white. Range: NG, NW Is (Batanta, Gebe, Misool, Salawati, Waigeo), Bay Is (Biak, Numfor, Yapen), and Aru Is, 0–1000 m, rarely higher. Also Moluccas, Bismarck, and Solomon Is.
There are some 105 species of swifts worldwide, with 8 species known from New Guinea, 2 of which are northern migrants. These, the most specialized of aerial birds, have cylindrical bodies and long, tapered wings, with the bend of the wing very close to the body. Flight is fast, with stiff and rapid wingbeats. Swifts spend most of the time in the air. They are rarely seen at rest and then only at hidden roosting and nesting sites. Although generally abroad by day, many species are actually most active in dim light, either at dawn or at dusk, or before or after rain. This comfort in dim light hints at their ancestry, for their relatives are nocturnal birds, the owlet-nightjars and nightjars. Swifts feed exclusively on insects, caught on the wing. The sexes are alike in plumage and size, and juveniles show small plumage differences, if any. Swifts occupy virtually all New Guinea habitats. They nest in caves, overhanging boulders, or tree hollows. Both parents attend the nest, usually a small cupped structure of fine plant material, often cemented to its substrate with saliva.
In New Guinea there are 2 groups, swiftlets and swifts. The swiftlets (5 spp) are common and nearly ubiquitous residents, although their cave-roosting and nesting habits keep them close to hills and mountains. Certain Aerodramus swiftlets have a remarkable ability of navigating in the total darkness of the caves in which they roost and nest. They manage this by continually uttering clicking calls and then listening for the echoes bouncing off the walls of their hideaway, a process of navigation called echolocation. At least the Mountain and Uniform Swiftlets are known to echolocate, and other New Guinea species may as well. (Bats navigate in a similar manner, but the echolocation calls of most bats can’t be heard by the human ear.) Swiftlets use saliva as glue to hold their nests together and plaster them to vertical substrate. Nests of 2 swiftlet species in Asia are made entirely or mostly of hardened saliva, and it is these nests that are harvested to make “bird’s nest” soup. The nests of swiftlets in New Guinea contain so much moss and other plant material that they are not edible.
The 3 species of swifts are larger, and each is easy to recognize by its shape alone. They do not nest in caves and cannot echolocate.
Swiftlets lack distinctive field marks, and separating them in the field may be difficult, often impossible. The effort is worth a try, however, particularly because a careful search may turn up either of the 2 rarest and least known species, Bare-legged and Three-toed Swiftlets. All swifts and swiftlets are gregarious, so look for the rarer species among flocks of more common ones. Note that in the hand the presence of white fringes on the flight-feathers often distinguishes birds in juvenile plumage.
Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta |
9 cm. Common, from the foot of the ranges to above timberline, over forest and open habitats; avoids extensive flat country and savannah. Smallest NG swift. Tail moderately long and slightly notched. All plumages: The only swiftlet with glossy blue upperparts and whitish belly. Underwing all dark. Subspp: In need of review. Similar spp: Papuan Spinetailed Swift similarly glossy, but heftier with much shorter, square tail and pale streak across underwing; usually flies higher. Other swiftlets grey-brown without noticeable gloss and with sooty underparts. Voice: Usually silent. Call a sharp twitter. Does not echolocate. Habits: Forages singly or in small flocks low over the forest and in forest gaps, especially beside streams and over roads. Flight slow; glides with frequent changes in direction; rapid winnowing of wings followed by short glides with wings held downward. Nests alone or in colonies in the twilight zone of caves, overhanging road cuts, sheltered rock faces; nest a small cup of moss, lichen, and fiber glued with saliva to rock. Eggs (2) white. Range: All NG Region, except much of S Lowlands and Trans-Fly, nor any records from Gebe I or Manam I, 0–4500 m. Also SE Asia to Solomon Is.
Mountain Swiftlet Aerodramus hirundinaceus |
(Collocalia hirundinacea)
11–13 cm. Common in the mountains from foothills to tree line, over forest and open habitats. The grey-brown swiftlet most often seen in the highlands. All plumages: A uniformly grey-brown swiftlet with notched tail. In the hand: From Uniform S by somewhat larger size; and tarsus usually feathered (a tract of short feathers running down the leg). Similar spp: See Uniform, Bare-legged, and Three-toed Ss. Bare-legged and Three-toed are larger but difficult to distinguish from Mountain S in flight. Voice: Flight call is a rapid twittering that repeats its pattern. Echolocates with clicking call. Habits: Gregarious, usually in small or large flocks, mixing with other swiftlets. Flocks come and go during the day, their movements a mystery. Found especially over open country and less commonly over forest. Flies both high and low. Nests colonially in caves, sinkholes, and mine shafts, usually well into the dark zone; nest a cup of moss and other plant material without saliva adhesive built on a niche on rock surface. Egg (1) white. Range: Endemic. NG, Yapen (Bay Is), Karkar I, and SE Is (D’Entrecasteaux Is: Goodenough I, possibly others), 0–4000 m.
Bare-legged Swiftlet Aerodramus nuditarsus |
(Whitehead’s Swiftlet, Collocalia whiteheadi)
14 cm. A rare montane swiftlet. Largest NG swiftlet, with large-headed profile. Known from very few specimens. All plumages: Grey-brown above, uniform lead grey below. In the hand: Tarsus bare. Extensive pale fringes on the eyebrow distinctive and unique. Similar spp: Mountain and Three-toed Ss. Voice: No information. Habits: Difficult to separate from other swiftlets in the field and therefore little known. Over both forests and open habitats? Roosts in rocks overhanging mountain streams. No nesting information. Range: Endemic. NG Central Ranges, with fewer than 10 records, 1500–1850 m (1 record at 30 m). Taxonomy: Split from Whitehead’s Swiftlet (A. whiteheadi) of the Philippine Is and Mayr’s Swiftlet (A. orientalis) of the Bismarck and Solomon Is.
Uniform Swiftlet Aerodramus vanikorensis |
(Lowland Swiftlet, Collocalia vanikorensis)
13 cm. Common in lowlands and foothills over forest and open habitats, including coasts and small islands. The grey-brown swiftlet most often seen at low elevations, although not separable from Mountain S in the field. All plumages: Uniformly grey-brown swiftlet with notched tail. In the hand: From Mountain S by smaller size and tarsus usually not feathered. Subspp: In need of review. Similar spp: See Mountain, Bare-legged, and Three-toed Ss. Voice: Flight call a repeated twittering. Echolocates with clicking call. Habits: Similar to Mountain S. Nesting similar to Mountain S but includes saliva as glue. Range: NG, NW Is (Batanta, Kofiau, Misool, Salawati, Waigeo), Bay Is (Biak, Numfor, Yapen), Aru Is, and SE Is (all except Rossel), 0–1400 m. Also Philippines and Sulawesi to New Hebrides Is. Extralimital spp: White-rumped Swiftlet (Aerodramus spodiopygius) on islands to the N and E (Admiralty, Bismarcks, Solomons to Tonga Is) has been reported in error from Manam I but nevertheless may wander to the eastern NG Region; distinguished by its dingy white rump patch.
Three-toed Swiftlet Aerodramus papuensis |
(Collocalia papuensis)
14 cm. Uncommon and local in foothills and mountains. Unique among swifts for having only 3 toes instead of 4. Large size, closest to Bare-legged S, but slightly smaller and more slender. All plumages: Similar to other all-brown swiftlets. One supposed field mark does not work: the throat is often, but not always, slightly paler (impossible to see in the field because it is ever so obscure and is confounded by counter-shading); this character is shared with other swiftlets. Similar spp: Mountain, Uniform, and Bare-legged Ss. Voice: Flight call, no information. Echolocates with clicking calls. Habits: Recorded foraging in flocks over lagoons. Flies at night outside roosting caves giving echolocation calls. No nesting information, but probably nests in roosting caves. Range: Endemic. NG: only a few records, from W Ranges to E Ranges; possible sightings as far east as SE Pen, 0–2400 m. Taxonomy: At present, molecular data point to a relationship closest to the Waterfall Swiftlet (Hydrochous gigas) of Malay Pen and Greater Sunda Is.
Papuan Spinetailed Swift Mearnsia novaeguineae |
(New Guinea Spine-tailed Swift, Chaetura novaeguineae)
11 cm. An uncommon lowland swift over forests and open habitats. Unique stubby shape accentuated by short, square tail. Body thicker and more oval than the slender, long-bodied swiftlets. Tail very brief compared with longer-tailed swiftlets. All plumages: Resembles Glossy Swiftlet in dark, glossy upperparts and pale belly; however, note pale underwing-stripe across secondaries (obscure in northern race). In the hand: “Spinetailed” refers to the projecting shafts of the tail feathers. Subspp (2): novaeguineae (S Lowlands and SE Pen) throat grey; buergersi (NW Lowlands and Sepik-Ramu) throat dark, like back. Similar spp: Glossy S has slower, more erratic, gliding flight. Voice: Flight call distinctive: 3–4 squeaks. Habits: Forages singly or in small groups; often associates with swiftlets. Fast flight with rapid wingbeats. Makes long, straight runs between changes in direction; similarly follows river courses, dropping low to the water. Roosts in hollow trees, but occasionally perches on vertical spires in the forest canopy. Seen carrying nesting material (palm fiber) into tree hollows; no other nesting information. Range: Endemic. NG (only sightings from Bird’s Head and Salawati I), 0–500 m (to 1200 m).
White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus |
(Chaetura caudacuta)
19 cm. An uncommon Palearctic migrant, both in passage and overwintering during austral summer. Over lowland forests and open country. Largest NG swift; short-tailed with long, thin wings. Flight can be amazingly fast. Adult: Unique combination of white throat and undertail, otherwise dark below. Darker above, but back is paler than head and tail. White spot on upper scapulars. Juv: Noticeably smaller white patches on forehead and scapulars; upperparts less glossy. Subspp (1): caudacutus (breeds NE Asia, winters S NG and E AU). Similar spp: No other swift or swiftlet is as large or shows a white undertail. Voice: Flight call, a rapid, high-pitched twittering; also chur notes. Habits: In wandering flocks, sometimes with Fork-tailed S. One of the fastest flying of all birds. Flight usually direct and powerful, but may also be more leisurely and circling with pulses of flapping and glides. Forages at both high and low altitudes. Range: Breeds E Asia, winters S Asia to NG Region and AU.
Fork-tailed Swift Apus pacificus |
(White-rumped or Pacific Swift)
18 cm. A Palearctic migrant, both on passage and overwintering during austral summer. Common over Trans-Fly, rare and occasional elsewhere. Mainly over savannah, but also forest and other habitats in passage. Note long, thin, curved wings and long tail. All plumages: White rump and long, forked tail diagnostic. Beware that the fork disappears when the tail is folded. Chin and throat white; rest of underparts scaled white. Subspp (1): pacificus (breeds NE Asia, winters SE Asia to AU). Similar spp: No other swift has forked tail, but some swallows do. Voice: Can be heard even when bird is far off. Flight call, a shrill, buzzing scream, skree-ee-ee. Habits: In flocks, sometimes with White-throated N, swiftlets, swallows. Typically flies very high. Flight slower and more changeable than needletail. Range: NG Region. Breeds E Asia, winters S Asia to AU.
ROLLERS: Coraciidae
Twelve species of rollers inhabit Africa and Eurasia, with 1 species reaching New Guinea as a breeder and widespread migrant from Australia. Rollers are long-winged, graceful fliers. They spend much time perched on bare branches or power lines at the forest edge or clearings, sailing out to capture flying insects or snatching small vertebrates on the ground. They nest in a tree cavity.
Oriental Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis |
(Broad-billed Roller)
25–28 cm. Inhabits savannah, forest edge, gardens, and roadsides in lowlands and hills. Seen perched in or sallying from a tall isolated tree or the forest edge. Both races widespread, but the resident race is uncommon, whereas the migratory AU race is seasonally common during austral winter. Adult: Uniquely shaped—chunky with large head and broad bill; appears all dark with red bill and legs. In good light note brown head and blue body. In flight: Wing with pale “dollar coin” mark on primaries. Floppy but graceful wingbeats distinctive. Juv: Like a darker, blackish version of Adult; bill blackish. Subspp (2): Distinguished with care; both are widespread; waigiouensis (endemic) brighter blue; pacificus (migratory, breeds AU) paler grey-blue. Similar spp: Mynas or Eclectus Parrot may look similar in flight. Voice: Calls are distinctive coughlike croaks, kak or chak, sometimes repeated in a series. Habits: Solitary or in pairs when not migrating. On migration, passes southward in long straggling lines of hundreds of birds. Has 2 modes of foraging: from a high, exposed perch sallies out to capture passing insects, or flies continuously high in the sky, sometimes in flocks, often just after dawn. Roosts socially on passage, but solitary migrants may roost in a tree hollow. Nests in a tree hollow or spout. Eggs (3–4?) white. Range: All NG region, although resident race not reported from Salawati, Biak, Mios Num, Numfor, Manam, Aru, and Trobriand Is; both races 0–1600 m. Also E Asia to AU and Solomon Is.
WOODLAND KINGFISHERS: Halcyonidae
Of the 62 woodland kingfisher species worldwide, a substantial proportion—21 species—inhabit the New Guinea Region. Kingfishers are a distinctive and old lineage of birds believed to have originated on the northern continents. The presence of kingfishers across the seas in Australasia is not surprising given their attraction to rivers and coasts and an ability to disperse long distances over water.
All kingfishers have at least some blue feathering and are easily recognized by shape: the large head wields a long, powerful bill, and the body is supported on feet so small the bird appears glued legless to its perch. Kingfishers sit motionless for a time looking around for prey, then dive down to snatch it with the bill. Other characteristic and comical behaviors include bobbing the head and sometimes the whole body (the smaller species do this) and cocking the tail upward, especially when calling. Kingfishers would often be overlooked if it were not for their calls, and fortunately most species are noisy.
Woodland kingfishers, in contrast to the family of river kingfishers, obtain nearly all their prey from land and typically have no affiliation with water. They have a heavier bill and sport a tail of normal length, or one of extraordinary length in the paradise-kingfishers. A few species—Blue-black, Collared, and Beach Kingfishers—actually fish on occasion. Prey taken on land include large insects, worms, crabs, lizards, frogs, rodents, and even small birds. This group includes the celebrated kookaburras and the spectacular paradise-kingfishers, both groups especially diverse in New Guinea. Two nonconforming New Guinea species are the nocturnal Hook-billed Kingfisher and the fossicking Shovel-billed Kookaburra.
Woodland kingfishers are mainly lowland birds, with only a few species being found in the mountains. Even though they usually forage alone, they live in territorial pairs or, depending upon species, in families of parents and their offspring. They do not build a nest but instead excavate a nest chamber in an earth bank, termite mound, or tree hollow. All species in the region are breeding residents, except one, the Sacred Kingfisher. That species, the Forest Kingfisher, and the Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher nest in Australia and migrate to New Guinea to spend the winter, but the latter two also have resident populations on mainland New Guinea.
Although some woodland kingfishers are easily spotted when perched in the open, most forest-dwelling species are best located by their distinctive vocalizations. Another way to find them is to be alert to the scolding of small songbirds mobbing a kingfisher, a potential predator. Identifying kingfishers is rarely a problem when a bird is seen well. Juvenile plumage differs from adult plumage and can also be identified to species. The juvenile undergoes a partial molt (retaining flight-feathers), after which it looks like the adult.
Common Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera galatea |
33–43 cm. The widespread paradise-kingfisher. Generally common in forest interior, but may be locally scarce or absent. Very inconspicuous, but vocal. Look for the white breast and movement of the flaglike tail being pumped up and down as the bird sits quietly—a habit of all paradise-kingfishers. Adult: Striking pure white underparts and rump; bright blue crown and wing-coverts; very long streamer tail with spatula tip (tail usually longer in Male). Only paradise-kingfisher on mainland NG with mostly white outer tail feathers. Bill red. Juv: Mostly brown above with crown showing at least some feathers edged blue; dirty buff-white below with dark scalloping; central tail feathers only slightly lengthened; bill all or partly black. Molts in a few months to Imm. Imm: Adultlike plumage but with some retained Juv flight and tail feathers. Some birds with long, all-white tail without spatulate tips may be in imm plumage? In flight: White streamers obvious. Subspp (4, in 1 group): galatea (all NG Region). Similar spp: Little PK (Trans-Fly and Aru) most similar; see that account. Voice: The soft, clear, musical, whistled trill is one of the characteristic songs of lowland forest. Consists of a short series of downslurred notes, slowly rising in pitch and speeding up, usually preceded by 1–4 sharper initial notes:
When excited, the bird repeats the series rapidly, running the notes together, and adding louder, higher-pitched scolds. Call is a single, slow, mournful, whistled downslur or upslur of 2 sec duration. Habits: Occasionally in mangroves; migrates from monsoon forest to rainforest in dry season. Solitary or in pairs, territorial and aggressive. Perches in forest understory slowly pumping tail and occasionally sallying out to take prey from foliage or ground, even digging for earthworms. Feeds on invertebrates. Nest chamber excavated in arboreal, active termitarium, 2–6 m above ground. Eggs (~5) white? Range: NG, NW Is (Batanta, Gebe, Salawati, Waigeo), and islands off N coast (Walis, Manam, Karkar, Bagabag), 0–500 m. All NG lowlands, but may be absent from Purari-Kikori area, and there are few records from western S Lowlands (Etna Bay to Digul R) and N coast of SE Pen. Also Moluccas.
Rossel Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera rosseliana |
(formerly under Common Paradise-Kingfisher, Tanysiptera galatea)
35–36 cm. Rossel I (SE Is), where it is the only paradise-kingfisher; common in forest. Adult: Differs from Common PK in darker crown and bluer back yielding much less color contrast over the upperparts. Further, tail shorter and all white (not blue at the base). Similar spp: None on Rossel. Habits: Similar to Common PK. Nest and egg unknown. Range: Endemic. Rossel (SE Is), 1–300 m. Taxonomy: Formerly a subspecies of Common PK.
Biak Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera riedelii |
35–36 cm. Biak I (Bay Is), where it is the only paradise-kingfisher; common in forest interior, edge, and degraded forest. Adult: Pale blue head, dark blue back, and long, spatulate, nearly all-white tail. Bill red. Juv: Head and upperparts similar to Adult but duller; underparts buff with dark scalloping; tail somewhat elongate. Bill dark. Voice: Song, a series of ~20 squeaky notes, begins slowly then accelerates and ascends in pitch. Habits: Similar to Common PK but oft en perches in the upper midstory. No nesting information. Range: Endemic. Biak (Bay Is), 0–600 m.
Kofiau Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera ellioti |
33 cm. Kofiau I (NW Is), where it is the only paradise-kingfisher; common in lowland forest interior. Adult: Similar to Common PK, but tail shorter, thicker, and all white. Bill red. Juv: Head and upperparts similar to Adult but duller; underparts buff with some dark scalloping and streaking; somewhat elongated tail blue above. Bill dark. Voice: Song is a trill similar to that of Common PK but shorter and more plaintive. Call is 3 mournful high-pitched downslurs. Habits: Generally similar to Common PK. No nesting information. Range: Endemic. Kofiau (NW Is).
Numfor Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera carolinae |
36–38 cm. Numfor I (Bay Is), where it is the only paradise-kingfisher; common in forest, second growth, and gardens. Adult: Dark blue with white rump and long, white tail with spatulate tip. Bill red, feet yellowish. Juv: Dark blue above, whitish or rufous marked with black below, and tail somewhat elongated, black. Bill dark. Voice: Song begins very slowly with plaintive yak notes then speeds up to a rapid trill, k-k-k-k-k … all on the same pitch. Habits: Feeds on insects and nests in termitaria. Range: Endemic. Numfor (Bay Is). Lowlands.
Little Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera hydrocharis |
31 cm. Uncommon and local in riverine forests of S Lowlands and Trans-Fly on NG, and the only paradise-kingfisher on the Aru Is. Nearly identical to the Common PK in appearance, habitat, and behavior, but slightly smaller and with subtle color differences. Adult: Outer tail feathers entirely blue, only thin white edging to central pair of feathers (adult Common has tail feathers white or blue-and-white); crown dark blue (Common has pale blue crown); and wing-coverts dark blue (Common has a contrasting pale blue patch on the wing-coverts, same color as crown). Bill red. Juv: Distinguished from juv Common by size and darker blue crown, if present. Similar spp: Common PK. Voice: A sure means of identification and separation from Common. Song is an 8-note series that drops slightly in pitch, tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tr, each of the downslurred notes delivered slowly and separately; by comparison, the song of the Common PK is a faster and longer trill that rises in pitch.
Habits: Co-occurs with Common and habits apparently similar. No nesting information. Range: Endemic. NG and Aru Is, 0–300 m. NG: Trans-Fly north to central S Lowlands (Kiunga area). Not found recently on Aru.
Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera sylvia |
(Australian or White-tailed Paradise Kingfisher)
37 cm. A rare and very local resident in monsoonal lowland and hill forests of SE Pen; also an uncommon austral winter migrant to much of lowland NG, particularly S Lowlands, in monsoonal forest and rainforest. In all plumages, note pale patch on dark back. Adult: Look for buffy orange breast and contrasting red bill. Diagnostic whitish patch on center of upper back, merging with white rump and tail-streamers; tail pointed, no spatulate tip. Female: Differs from Male by shorter tail, blue margins on central tail feathers, and variable dusky streaking on white back and rump. Juv: Like a much duller, shorter-tailed version of Adult, but feathers of upperparts edged brown and underparts edged sooty; from other juv paradise-kingfishers by buffy triangular patch on back; bill dark. Subspp (2): Not safely distinguished; salvadoriana (resident) greenish tinge to blue of head and wing and paler below; sylvia (AU migrant). Similar spp: Brown-headed and Red-breasted PKs are deep salmon below (not buff-orange) and have all-dark back, pinkish brown rump, and blue tail. Voice: Vocal when breeding. Song in NG is a soft, purring trill and differs from that of Common PK by lacking introductory notes, being more rapid and at a lower pitch, and decelerating rather than accelerating. In AU, the trill is 1 sec long and descends slightly. A 4-note call is thought to be the territorial call in Australia, where successive notes rise in pitch: chuga, chuga, chuga, chuga. Little known about vocalizations of AU birds wintering in NG. Habits: Similar to those of other paradise-kingfishers. Occupies higher levels of the forest when sympatric with Common. Feeds on insects and other invertebrates. Nest chamber excavated into ground-level termitarium. Eggs (3) white (AU data). Range: NG: resident in SE Pen (Angabanga R to Kemp Welsh R, including Port Moresby area); migrant AU birds overwinter in Trans-Fly, S Lowlands, and Sepik-Ramu, 0–500 m. Also AU.
Red-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera nympha |
(Pink-breasted Paradise Kingfisher)
32 cm. Note disjunct and patchy distribution. Locally common in foothill forest interior and second growth, particularly ravines, also lowlands and mangroves. Generally above elevational range of Common PK and west of range of Brown-headed PK. In all plumages note red-orange breast and blue crown. Adult: Blue crown, blackish mantle, red-orange underparts, and pink rump. Tail with blue, white-tipped streamers, short for a paradise-kingfisher. Juv: From other juv paradise-kingfishers by combination of blue feathers in crown and red-orange wash on breast and rump; bill orange, black on culmen. Similar spp: Common PK, which shares its lowland range, has white underparts and rump. Buff-breasted PK, a rare winter visitor, has buff-yellow underparts and white back and tail-streamers. Brown-headed PK, further east, most similar but has brown head and mantle. Juv Common and Buff-breasted have underparts whitish or buffy, without red-orange wash; juv Brown-headed very similar but lacks blue in crown. Voice: Very similar to that of Brown-headed PK. Habits: Usually perches in an understory sapling, ~5–6 m up, in shaded forest interior. No nesting information. Range: Endemic. NG: patchily distributed in Bird’s Head and Neck, Sepik-Ramu, Adelbert Mts, Huon, and northwestern SE Pen (Upper Watut, Wau, and Waria R), 500–900 m (0–1400 m).
Brown-headed Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera danae |
(Brown-backed Paradise Kingfisher)
28–30 cm. Only in SE NG. Locally common in forest interior mainly in foothills, occasionally nearby lowlands; generally above the range of Common PK and east of range of Red-breasted PK. In all plumages note striking red-orange breast and all-brown head. Search suitable habitat for silent birds by scanning the forest at the ~5 m height looking for the bright orange breast of a bird facing and watching you. Adult: The only paradise-kingfisher with head entirely buff-brown and back dark brown. Underparts rich red-orange; rump pink; tail short for a paradise-kingfisher, blue with white tip. Bill red. Juv: From other juv paradise-kingfishers by combination of all-brown head, red-orange wash on breast and pink rump; bill orange and black. Voice: Song a slow, plaintive, slightly nasal, descending, and decelerating trill, suggestive of call of Yellow-billed Kingfisher, but slower, softer, and decelerating. Habits: Sometimes in same forest as Common, but perches higher in vegetation. No nesting information. Range: Endemic. NG: SE Pen (westward to Waria R and Aroa R, including Port Moresby area), 300–1000 m (locally to sea level).
Hook-billed Kingfisher Melidora macrorrhina |
(Hook-billed Kookaburra)
25 cm. Often heard, but nearly impossible to see. Widespread and adaptable; common in lowland and hill forest interior, but can be any place where there is dense tree cover, even in towns and tree plantations. A loud and inveterate caller at dawn and dusk. Otherwise perches inconspicuously and silently in the middle story of the forest during the day. A white-breasted, brown-backed kingfisher with a bluish crown. Note unique facial pattern with black eye-stripe and moustachial stripe; heavy and flattened, hooked bill; and buff-scalloped back; underparts white or with ochraceous wash and faint, dark scaling. Male: Crown scalloped blue. Female: Crown mainly black, scalloped bluish green; blue nape band. Juv: Similar to Adult, but ochraceous underparts with feathers distinctly dark-edged (faintly so in Adult). Subspp (2): Minor. Similar spp: None, but vaguely recalls a juv Common PK. Voice: One of the iconic voices of the NG bush, though song varies regionally. Sings before sunrise and after sunset, often well into the night; rarely during day except when breeding. The musical song begins slowly with one or a few hesitant, rising, whistled notes of medium pitch, immediately followed by a rapid, accelerating, falling trill: keeer keeer keer ker-ker-ker … (trilled). Tone reminiscent of a paradise-kingfisher. Habits: Mainly crepuscular and nocturnal; also active during the daytime when breeding. Solitary. Usually perches within a few meters of the ground when foraging, but ascends into trees to sing. Feeds on insects, other invertebrates, and frogs. Most prey is taken from ground; digs for food as well. Nesting chamber excavated in an active, arboreal termitarium, >3 m up a tree. Eggs (2) white. Range: Endemic. NG, NW Is (Batanta, Misool, Salawati, Waigeo), and Bay Is (Yapen), 0–750 m (rarely to 1200 m).
Shovel-billed Kookaburra Clytoceyx rex |
(Shovel-billed Kingfisher)
32 cm. Rare and patchily distributed in forest interior from lowlands to mid-mountains. Appears to prefer areas of wet climate—damp, rainy, foggy. Often flushed from the ground, where this odd kingfisher digs with its massive, stubby bill. Bill unique, bizarre: broad, thick, and rounded at the tip like a pair of salad tongs, often mud-caked. Bird large, all brown, and with a pale blue rump. Plumage pattern recalls a dull, brown version of Rufous-bellied K. Note white throat and buff collar. Male: Tail blue. Female: Tail brown. Juv: Similar to Female, but has rusty tips to feathers of upperparts; underparts with feathers dark-scalloped. Subspp (2): Minor. Similar spp: Rufous-bellied K is smaller, with black cap, deep chestnut underparts, and a long whitish bill. Voice: Song, often given predawn and dusk, is a ringing, far-carrying, monotonous series of insistent, plaintive whistling notes, 1/sec: ru? ru? ru? …, very similar to the monotone call of the Dwarf Koel, but with notes not upslurred, more resonant and deeper. Alarm call is a loud, kingfisher-like, guttural chatter. Habits: Seen singly or in pairs. Forages on ground devoid of leaf litter, such as stream banks, land slips, boggy places, adjacent to tree buttresses, and flat alluvial forest. Uses bill as a plow or shovel for digging up arthropods, grubs, earthworms, small vertebrates, and apparently in mangroves, small crabs. Plowed-up leaf litter and soil may be a clue to its presence. Flushes to a perch 3–4 m up, where it sits motionless except for the slowly moving tail; then typically flies off, giving its rattling alarm call. Nest excavated in the rotten trunk of a still-standing tree. Egg undescribed. Range: Endemic. NG, Sea level –2400 m.
Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leachii |
38–40 cm. Savannah and edge of monsoon forest. Largest NG kingfisher. Streaked head; whitish collar and underparts; note pale eye. Wings and rump brilliant blue; back is black. Male: Tail blue. Female: Tail barred brown and blue. Juv: Differs subtly from Adult—more buffy and with heavier barring in underparts. Young male also has some rufous barring near tip of tail. In flight: Impressively large, with much blue, and white outer tail feathers. Subspp (1): intermedia (endemic). Similar spp: Spangled K is smaller, dark-eyed, and lacks the all-black mantle, pale collar, and white outer tail feathers. Voice: Song is a series of repeated downslurred barks similar to those of other kookaburras. Also, demoniacal, screeching laughter in duets. Habits: In vociferous, territorial pairs and family groups. Feeds on large insects, other invertebrates, and small vertebrates. Nests in tree hollows, or excavates chamber in arboreal termitarium. Eggs (2–3) white. Range: NG: Trans-Fly (Mimika R to mouth of the Fly R) and southern SE Pen (Angabanga R to Amazon Bay, including Port Moresby area), 0–600 m. Also AU.
Spangled Kookaburra Dacelo tyro |
(Sauromarptis tyro)
33 cm. Restricted to Trans-Fly and Aru Is. Common, inhabiting monsoon forest and adjacent savannah. Smaller and prettier than similar and more widespread Blue-winged K. Head and mantle darker and spangled with pale crescents; iris dark; tail all blue, lacking white in outer tail feathers. Adult: Heavily spangled; pale underparts with or without feathers faintly margined with black. Female: Blue parts duller and greenish; tail blue, unlike other female kookaburras. Juv: Head and back appear darker because of reduced spangling; underparts more noticeably dark-scaled. Subspp (2): archboldi (Trans-Fly) whitish spangling and underparts, tyro (Aru Is) these buff. Similar spp: Blue-winged K. Voice: Song begins with introductory gurgling followed by a rattled laugh almost on 1 pitch, repeated at length; lacks the variations of those of Blue-winged. Also described as a monotonous series of identical, short, dry coughs or doglike barks, ~10 notes per 6 sec. Sometimes calls in answer to Blue-winged. Habits: Shares its range with Rufous-bellied and Blue-winged Ks, the former inhabiting rainforest and monsoon forest, whereas the latter is confined to monsoon forest and savannah. Occurs in vocal pairs and small family groups, generally keeping to cover and not perching in the open. Found in treetops or forages from perch a few meters up, diving to the ground for prey. Recorded taking mainly insects. No nesting information. Range: Endemic. NG southern Trans-Fly and Aru Is, 0–300 m.
Rufous-bellied Kookaburra Dacelo gaudichaud |
(Gaudichaud’s Kookaburra, Sauromarptis gaudichaud)
28 cm. The common, lowland forest kookaburra. Its voice is one of the familiar sounds of lowland forests. A large kingfisher, though small for a kookaburra; black head with whitish bill, white collar, and deep rufous underparts. Mantle black with blue on wings and rump. Male: Blue tail. Female: Brown tail. Juv: Similar to Female but with blackish bill and dark edging to feathers of the collar and underparts. Similar spp: Shovel-billed K is larger and brownish, has shovel-bill. Blue-black Kingfisher, rufous-breasted race male, is smaller, black-billed, lacks white collar. Voice: Song consists of loud barking or chopping notes, tok or chok, repeated many times, at a rate of ~1/ sec. Also a loud descending “laugh” similar to, but drier than, the rattle of Blue-winged K. Two birds often call synchronously, with tails cocked upward. Habits: Noisy territorial pairs inhabit the lower forest canopy, foraging for arthropods and small vertebrates (especially lizards) taken from foliage and branches, also ground, where it finds earthworms. Nest chamber excavated in an active, arboreal termitarium. Eggs (2) white. Range: Endemic. NG, NW Is (Batanta, Misool, Salawati, Waigeo), Bay Is (Mios Num, Yapen), and Aru Is, 0–750 m (rarely to 1300 m).
Blue-black Kingfisher Todiramphus nigrocyaneus |
(Black-sided Kingfisher, Halcyon nigrocyanea)
23 cm. A stunning deep blue kingfisher of lowland forest interior, often near streams; also mangroves. Rare and poorly known. Diagnostic black mask from bill to nape, and black back; glowing blue crown, wings, rump, and tail. Note white chin and throat (dim in Males of one race) framed by the dark blue breast. Male: Underparts vary with race, but belly dark blue or rufous, not white as in Female. Female: Underparts white in all races, broken by the broad blue breast band. Juv: Upperparts same as Adult but duller; underparts dingy white with rufous breast band, faintly scaled. Subspp (3): Males differ: nigrocyaneus (NW Is, Bird’s Head to S Lowlands east as far as Princess Marianne Straits) breast and belly dark blue crossed by a white band; stictolaemus (Kurik and Fly R in central S Lowlands to southern SE Pen) entire underparts black with deep blue cast; quadricolor (Yapen I, NW Lowlands, and Sepik-Ramu) with thin white breast band and rufous belly. Similar spp: No other NG kingfisher has such strikingly patterned underparts. Other kingfishers of similar size have blue or green on back. Rufous-bellied K is larger and much more conspicuous, with a white bill and collar. Juv paradise-kingfishers differ from juv Blue-black by having some red in the bill and a longer tail. Voice: Often sings before dawn. Song is high, musical, and clear, 4–5 notes, the first note longest, followed by 2 shorter, higher notes (all 3 are upslurred, each higher than the preceding), the final 1–2 notes are lower, downslurred or unslurred: wee wheh di—wu-wu or yaaah wheh wheh wu. Reminiscent of Hook-billed K song, but easily distinguished. Habits: Perches in understory (3–5 m up), often by a small, slow-moving stream, but also away from water. Takes small fish, crabs, and lizards. No nesting information. Range: Endemic. NG, NW Is (Batanta, Salawati), and Bay Is (Yapen), 0–600 m. NG: absent from most of SE Pen (present eastward in N to Markham R; in S to Mt Cameron). Taxonomy: The species may eventually be split up.
Forest Kingfisher Todiramphus macleayii |
(Halcyon macleayii)
20–21 cm. Uncommon resident of SE Pen and fairly common austral winter migrant at forest edge, in gardens, towns, savannah, and other open habitats (not forest) in lowlands and hills. Underparts clean white (may have ochre wash on flanks) and crown deep blue. Also note white forehead spot. Male: White collar encircles hindneck. Female: Collar interrupted on nape. Juv: Feathers of upperparts edged buff, those of underparts edged dusky; has buffy loral spot and underparts; molts into adultlike Imm plumage while overwintering. In flight: The only small kingfisher showing white “silver dollar” wing patch. Subspp (2): macleayii (resident; also Northern Territory, AU) bright blue back; incinctus (migratory from E AU) greenish-blue back. Similar spp: Sacred K more common; has underparts and forehead spot tinged buff, back more greenish, and could especially be confused with buffy-breasted juv Forest. Collared K usually larger, has more greenish back, confined to different habitat. Both species lack the white wing patch. Voice: Resident race gives a short, rapid, musical trill very similar to song of Sacred K, ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki. Migrants are usually silent. Habits: Solitary or in pairs; breeds in family groups of up to 5 in AU, probably also NG; migrating groups along coast. Conspicuous on exposed perches in open habitats, e.g., bare branches, roadside wires. Dives to the ground for invertebrates, frogs, and reptiles. Vocal. Nest chamber excavated in arboreal termitarium (AU data). Eggs (4–5) white. Range: Resident race breeds on NG only: SE Pen and Huon, 0–700 m. Migrants visit NG (S Lowlands, E Sepik-Ramu eastward), Aru Is, and SE Is, 0–1800 m. Also AU, Bismarcks, and Solomon Is.
Collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris |
(Mangrove or White-collared Kingfisher, Halcyon chloris)
20–25 cm. Uncommon in mangroves and other coastal habitats throughout region, except N coast of NG and nearby islands, where replaced by Beach K. Adult: A heavy-billed, white-collared kingfisher, with a blue-green crown and back. Underparts white (occasionally with buff). Female often duller, but not reliably so. Juv: Faint buff scaling in upperparts; obscure dark scaling on underparts and collar. Subspp (3): chloris (NW Is, Bird’s Head and Neck, also Wallacea) a coastal race, bright bluish green; sordidus (NG S coast and Aru Is, also AU) a mangrove specialist, dusky olive green; colonus (SE Is) a small-island tramp, darker above and smaller than sordidus and Sacred K. Similar spp: Sacred K has smaller bill, buffy collar and underparts. Forest K is pure blue above, with a white “silver dollar” wing patch. Voice: Song of form colonus like that of Sacred K, but slower and louder: a series of deliberate, 2- or 3-note phrases of nasal kek notes, with the first note highest. Habits: Solitary or in pairs. Forages for crabs and fish in saltwater habitats, insects and lizards on land. Excavates nest chamber in tree hollow or termitarium. Eggs (3) white. Range: NG, NW Is (Gag, Misool, Salawati, Waigeo), Aru Is, and SE Is (mostly on small islands, but also Misima, Tagula, and Rossel), 0–100 m. NG: Bird’s Head and Neck along S coast to Milne Bay. Also Red Sea to AU, Solomon Is, and Oceania. Taxonomy: This species will likely be split up.
Beach Kingfisher Todiramphus saurophagus |
(White-headed Kingfisher, Halcyon saurophaga)
28 cm. Seacoasts, especially on small, offshore islands; in strand, mangroves, coconut groves. The only white-headed kingfisher in the NG Region. Note large size and massive bill. Adult: All-white head and underparts; back blue-green, wings and tail blue. Female mantle sometimes more greenish. Juv: Head and underparts buffy; upperparts buff-scaled. Subspp (1): saurophagus (Moluccas to Solomon Is). Similar spp: Collared K smaller; green cap. Voice: Song of repeated notes reminiscent of related species. A strident kio kio kio kio or kee kee kee. Habits: Solitary or in pairs. Typically seen alone on exposed perch overlooking shore. Dives on crabs, insects, lizards, and fish. Nests in a tree hollow. Eggs (2–3) white. Range: NG, NW Is, Bay Is, and SE Is, sea level. NG: Bird’s Head, along N coast to SE Pen, where recorded locally from small islets on both N and S coasts. Also Moluccas, Bismarck, and Solomon Is.
Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus |
(Halcyon sancta)
21 cm. Common austral winter migrant to forest edge, gardens, towns, and other open habitats at low to mid-elevations, where it is the most common kingfisher. Adult: Underparts and collar buffy white; cap and back greenish. Underparts range from dirty white to pale ochre, with variable amounts of faint, dark edging. Female sometimes duller. Juv: Buff scaling in upperparts; molts to adultlike Imm plumage while overwintering. Subspp (1): sanctus (breeds in AU). Similar spp: Forest K is same size and shares habitat, but cap and back are pure blue, underparts usually pure white, and wings with white “silver dollar” patch. Collared K has larger bill, whitish collar and underparts (usually), and different call. Voice: Song, a slightly musical series of 3–7 nasal kennk notes, at a rate of 5 notes/sec, at constant rate and pitch. Call is soft rasped notes. Habits: Solitary or in pairs. Occupies same winter territory from year to year. Forages from exposed perches by swooping down on large arthropods, frogs, and reptiles. Range: Entire NG Region, 0–2400 m. Also AU and NZ; migrates as far as Wallacea and Bismarck Is.
Yellow-billed Kingfisher Syma torotoro |
(Lowland or Lesser Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Halcyon torotoro)
18–20 cm. Widespread and common in lowland and hill forest. Its song is one of the distinctive sounds of the forest edge. A small kingfisher with yellow-tan head and yellow-orange bill that lacks black markings. Male: Plain yellow-tan crown; nape marked with 2 black patches. Female: Black patch atop head; oft en with black nape patches joined. Juv: Like Adult but bill black or partly black; also, with white patch between the 2 black nape patches and underparts with faint dusky scalloping. Subspp (2): torotoro (all except that of the next race); ochracea (D’Entrecasteaux Is) much larger and underparts more ochre. Similar spp: See Mountain K. Voice: Song is a whistled trill with the quality of a referee whistle. The usual song is 3–4 downslurred trills, each separated by a pause and ending with a longer trill that drops, rises, and drops. When the distinctive final trill is not heard, the descending trills are very similar to trills of Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo but are longer and richer, with longer intervals between successive trills.
Another song is a mournful, slow, monotonous series. Race ochracea song unlike Yellow-billed or Mountain K of mainland NG; a deeper-pitched string of 3-sec phrases repeated over and over; each phrase begins with 3 trills so brief they act as single notes and ends with a short, jumbled trill; phrase thus, dee, dee, dee, deedrdrdrdr. Habits: A solitary, vocal inhabitant of the midstory and canopy. Snatches arthropods and small vertebrates from foliage and larger branches, or dives to the forest floor. Nest chamber excavated in an active termitarium >3 m up a tree. Egg (1) white. Range: NG, NW Is (Batanta, Misool, Waigeo, Salawati), Aru Is, Bay Is (Yapen), and SE Is (3 main D’Entrecasteaux Is), 0–700 m (rarely to 1200 m). Also AU. Taxonomy: Hybrids between this and Mountain may occur rarely. Race ochracea possibly a separate species.
Mountain Kingfisher Syma megarhyncha |
(Mountain or Greater Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Halcyon megarhyncha)
21–23 cm. Uncommon, montane counterpart to Yellow-billed K. Mountain K nearly identical, but noticeably larger with proportionately longer bill. Note blackish marking atop yellowish bill (bill unmarked in Huon Pen birds). Beware that imm Yellow-billed can have yellow bill with black patches. For a bird in hand: folded wing measure (flat against rule) is 70–86 mm for Yellow-billed; 83–91 mm for Mountain. Bill measure (to juncture with skull) is 34–44 vs 42–53 mm. Male: Crown yellow. Female: Crown with black patch; nape patches always form a bar. Juv: Ear-coverts mottled black; bill all or mostly black. Subspp (3, in 2 groups): megarhyncha (Central Ranges) bill with black tip; sellamontis (Huon) bill all yellow. Voice: Song similar to that of preceding species mainland race but deeper pitched. (Song of Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo considerably higher pitched.) Habits: Similar to preceding species. Nest chamber dug into earthen bank and dry timber. Eggs (2) white. Range: Endemic. NG: Central Ranges and Huon (possible records from Foja and Adelbert Mts), 1100–2100 m (rarely down to 700 m).
RIVER KINGFISHERS: Alcedinidae
The 39 river kingfisher species occur throughout the Old World, with 4 species inhabiting the New Guinea Region. These are small kingfishers with very long, lance-shaped bills and short, stubby tails. Nearly all species are found close to water, into which they plunge for fish, crustaceans, insects, and spiders. One can occasionally spot a river kingfisher on its fishing perch by scanning the vegetation just above the waterline, one can occasionally spot a river kingfisher on its fishing perch. More often, however, they are seen zipping along a waterway or through the forest but may be overlooked unless one is aware of the high-pitched flight calls. The Papuan Dwarf-Kingfisher, an exception, has forsaken the waterside for the forest.
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis |
(River Kingfisher, the Kingfisher)
14–15 cm. The familiar kingfisher of Eurasia is local and habitat-specific in the NG Region. Along coasts, mangroves, and rivers; rarely inland, where displaced by Azure K. Adult: Like the slightly larger and darker Azure K, but sky blue streak up the back and bands of sequined highlighting on crown and wing-coverts; underparts rusty orange; whitish streak on ear-coverts sometimes hidden. Female: Red in lower bill. Juv: Duller, more greenish, with some dusky-edged feathers on breast. In flight: Brilliant pale blue dorsal streak as bird flies off. Subspp (1): hispidoides (Sulawesi to Bismarck Is). Similar spp: Papuan Dwarf K is much smaller, has a proportionately longer and thinner bill, is darker blue above, and does not fish. Voice: Call, shrill high-pitched notes uttered singly or in a series. Habits: Prefers open streams more than other kingfisher species. Solitary. Patrols a length of riverbank, with a number of regular perches, and dives into water for small fish, crustaceans, and insects. Nest chamber dug in a stream bank; nesting little known in NG Region. Range: NG and all SE Is, 0–100 m. (Records from NW Is need confirmation.) NG: Sepik-Ramu to SE Pen (both N and S coasts; apparently absent westward of Aroa R in the S). Also Eurasia to Solomon Is.
Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher Ceyx solitarius |
(Variable Dwarf Kingfisher, Ceyx lepidus, Alcedo lepida)
12 cm. A widespread, common, tiny kingfisher of lowland and hill forest interior, often away from water. Adult: Fluorescent deep blue upperparts; honey golden underparts; crown and wing-coverts with glittering, sequined feathering; back and rump paler blue. Bill black; feet yellow-orange. Female duller, but not reliably separable. Juv: Duller and may have some dark scaling on breast. Similar spp: Azure K is clearly larger, with darker, more uniformly blue upperparts (including crown and back). Common K also larger, with upperparts paler blue and more heavily sequined. Both are found strictly near water. Voice: Call is a single, high-pitched tseet or ss, given while perched, but especially in flight—a moving ss sound. Azure call similar. Pygmy parrots give series of similar notes delivered higher in the trees. Habits: Found zipping through the understory, calling as it goes. Solitary and inconspicuous, perching at low to middle heights in forest interior. Forages for arthropods taken at various levels (occasionally into canopy) and beside small pools or slow streams in forest. Does not dive into the water for food. Nest chamber dug in earth bank or tree root tip-up mound. Eggs (2) white. Range: Endemic. NG, NW Is (Batanta, Misool, Salawati, Waigeo), Aru Is, Bay Is (Biak, Yapen), Karkar I, and SE Is (D’Entrecasteaux Is: Fergusson, Normanby, and possibly Goodenough), 0–1200 m. Taxonomy: A recent split, one of many from the former Variable Dwarf Kingfisher (C. lepidus).
(Alcyone or Alcedo azurea)
16 cm. Widespread and fairly common along any body of freshwater or tidal creek with adequate cover, including mangroves. Adult: Small, deep blue kingfisher with evenly dark blue crown and upperparts, and black bill with pale tip; tawny below, to almost white in some birds. Female duller, but not reliably so. Juv: Blackish forehead and sides of breast; underparts paler; bill with more pronounced pale tip. Subspp (2): lessonii (all range except that of next race) underparts rich ochre-tan; ochrogaster (NW Lowlands to Sepik-Ramu) underparts paler. Similar spp: Papuan Dwarf K much smaller, with sequined crown and paler blue back and rump contrasting with darker wings and tail. Common K has paler blue upperparts with fluorescent blue midline on back and sequined crown feathers. Voice: Similar to, but higher pitched and less trilled than call of Papuan Dwarf K. Habits: Solitary. Perches close to water’s edge at forest margins and mangroves, taking small fish, crustaceans, insects, etc. Hovers over water (AU data). Excavates tunnel in stream bank. Eggs (5–7) white. Range: NG, NW Is (Batanta, Misool, Waigeo), Bay Is (Biak, Numfor, Yapen), Aru Is, Karkar I, and SE Is (D’Entrecasteaux: Fergusson and Normanby), 0–1500 m. Also Moluccas and AU.
Little Kingfisher Ceyx pusillus |
(Alcyone or Alcedo pusilla)
11 cm. Widespread and common in mangroves and small, lowland creeks and pools. Smallest NG kingfisher; the size of a fairywren. Adult: The only small kingfisher with white underparts; dark blue upperparts. Bill and feet black. Juv: Greenish-blue crown appears barred; some buff in underparts and black edging. Subspp (2): pusillus (all range except that of next race); laetior (NW Lowlands to Sepik-Ramu) lighter blue. Similar spp: Other small kingfishers have orange-buff underparts. Voice: Call an insect-like ts! brief and very soft. Similar to, but higher pitched, than call of Variable Dwarf K; difficult to distinguish. Habits: Perches solitarily low over water, diving for tiny fish, crustaceans, and insects. Excavates nest chamber in an earth bank or rotted tree stump (AU data). Eggs (4–5) white. Range: NG, NW Is (Batanta, Gag, Kofiau, Misool, Waigeo), Aru Is, and SE Is (3 main D’Entrecasteaux Is), 0–500 m (rarely 800 m). Also AU, Moluccas, and Solomon Is.
BEE-EATERS: Meropidae
The 27 species of bee-eater are distributed mainly in Africa and Eurasia, with only 2 species in Australasia. Both occupy the New Guinea Region—one shared with Asia, the other with Australia. They are blue-green birds with long, pointed bill and pintail. In New Guinea, bee-eaters occupy open habitats, where they perch on exposed branches or wires and dart out after flying prey including wasps, bees, flies, butterflies, beetles, and dragonflies. After each foray, the bee-eater will gracefully swoop back to its perch to consume the captured prey. The bird will whack its prey against the perch, and if there is a stinger, it will be carefully removed. Bee-eaters are gregarious and vocal and live in family groups. They nest colonially, each pair, often with related helpers, in a tunnel it has dug in flat, bare ground or in an earthen bank. Bee-eaters are easy to find in suitable habitat and often noticed because of their characteristic calls and flight pattern.
Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus |
27–29 cm. Resident and patchily distributed in lowland savannah, grassland, airstrips, and other open habitats with suitable perches; common where found. Adult: A greenish bee-eater with impressively long central tail feathers. Compared with more widespread Rainbow BE, tail longer, more tapered, and blue, rather than black, and brown throat blending into breast, not separated by a blackish bar, and body slightly larger. Juv: Similar to Adult, but duller and lacks tail wires. Differs from juv Rainbow by having the breast green rather than blue, and the brownish throat blends with the breast. In flight: Wings green, without Rainbow’s chestnut patch; tail blue. Voice: Flight call a double note, separable from that of Rainbow, and a rolling trill when alarmed. Habits: In pairs or flocks. Foraging behavior and diet typical of a bee-eater. Nests colonially, sometimes in hundreds of pairs; helpers not yet reported. Digs a burrow into the ground or earth bank (Asian data). Eggs (5–7) white. Range: NG: Coastal in the North from Lake Sentani (NW Lowlands) eastward to Lae; Trans-Fly and adjacent S Lowlands, 0–200 m. Also India, SE Asia, Wallacea, the Philippines, and Bismarck Is.
25 cm. Widespread and common AU migrant during austral winter (March–October) and very local resident breeder. Occupies open habitats, but migrates over forest and mountain passes. Adult: Has black throat bar, rufous in wing, and a distinctly squared, black tail with thin central tail wires. Juv: Duller and lacks black throat bar and tail wires. In flight: Wing with bright rufous flight-feathers; black tail contrasts with blue rump (Blue-tailed BE also has blue rump). Similar spp: Blue-tailed BE, see that account. Voice: Call notes herald birds migrating overhead or foraging nearby; call a prr, prrip, or preee note repeated in quick succession. Habits: In pairs or small parties that coalesce during migration into large flocks. Roosts in flocks. Foraging behavior and diet typical of a bee-eater. Nests solitarily or in small colonies (tens of pairs); helpers frequent. Digs a burrow into the ground or earth bank. Eggs (4–5) white (AU data). Range: Australian migrants spread across all NG Region, 0–1500 m (to 4000 m when migrating); resident on NG mainland in Port Moresby region and possibly in the Sepik-Ramu, 0–200 m. Breeds in AU; migrates from Wallacea to Bismarck Is.
HORNBILLS: Bucerotidae
The 59 species of hornbills are a tropical Afro-Asian family that ranges eastward to the Solomon Islands. One species inhabits New Guinea. Hornbills are large to very large birds with oversized, pointed bills frequently adorned with a casque. They feed mainly on fruit and small animals. The nest is in a tree hollow, into which the female is sealed for the duration of the incubation period, being fed by the male through a small slitlike opening.
Blyth’s Hornbill Rhyticeros plicatus |
(Papuan Hornbill, Aceros plicatus)
76–91 cm. Widespread in lowland and hill forest, common where not heavily hunted. Presence announced by boisterous grunting and loud whooshing wingbeats. A huge black, white-tailed bird of the forest canopy seen flying across forest openings. Note grotesquely large pale bill. Male: Yellow-orange head, varying from rufous to buff. Female: Head black. Juv: Like Male but casque with just 1 wrinkle; casque grows, adding a new wrinkle each year until ~6 wrinkles, when the older wrinkles begin breaking off. Similar spp: Palm Cockatoo, which is black-tailed, is the only other really large black bird cruising over the forest. Channel-billed Cuckoo is the only other bird with a hornbill-like bill. Voice: Deep, resonant, far-carrying honks and grunts, singly or in a series of notes rising and falling slightly in pitch. The beating wings make a terrific roaring sound, and when gliding, a high, long-continued ripping sound. Habits: Singly, in pairs, but usually in small parties. Gregarious and highly vocal. Commutes above the forest over a large area. Forages in the forest canopy mainly for fruits, but also for large insects, reptiles, frogs, mammals, and nesting birds. Nest in a high tree hollow. Eggs (2?) white. Range: NG, NW Is (Batanta, Misool, Salawati, Waigo), Bay Is (Yapen), and SE Is (3 main D’Entrecasteaux Is), 0–1400 m. Also Moluccas, Bismarck, and Solomon Is.
This tropical Old World family of 33 species ranges from Africa to Australia, with its center of distribution in SE Asia. This is the only family of suboscine passerines inhabiting New Guinea, with 3 species in the region. Pittas are brilliantly colored, solitary songbirds that inhabit the tropical forest floor. They have a plump appearance, with short wings and tail, long legs, and a large head. The New Guinea species all show a white wing patch in flight. Sexes are alike. Pittas frequent heavily forested habitats in lowland and hills, occasionally to 1200 m. Often heard but rarely seen, they are very shy and remain out of view. On the rare occasion when a pitta is seen, the bird is typically standing with an upright posture and hopping about, occasionally bobbing its head and flicking the wings or tail. They forage by turning over leaves and decayed wood in search of insects, worms, and snails, the latter being broken open on a rock. The loud, hoarsely whistled song is sometimes delivered from a perch in a tree, mostly during the day but occasionally at night. The nest is dome-shaped, made of twigs and leaves, and built on the ground.
Red-bellied Pitta Erythropitta erythrogaster |
(Blue-breasted Pitta)
15–17 cm. A common but secretive resident mainly in hill forest, extending from lowlands to lower montane zone. Some may be migrants from N AU. Adult: A brown-headed pitta with bright red belly. Breast blue; wing blue, without bright shoulder patch. Juv: Brown and mottled, with pale or white throat patch and hint of red on the belly. Subspp (6): bernsteinii (NW Is: Gebe): blue back, rufous brown head; macklotii (NG range, except the following) with greenish wings and back, dark brown head, and rufous nape; habenichti (NW Lowlands and Sepik-Ramu) similar to preceding but nape more orange; loriae (SE Pen, east of Kumusi R and Port Moresby area) similar to macklotii but head all dark brown; finschii (SE Is: D’Entrecasteaux Is) blue wings and back, dark brown head; meeki (SE Is: Rossel) green back, pale brown head. Similar spp: Other pittas quite different. Voice: Song a weird, low, tremulous, double-noted whistle, somewhat hoarse and upslurred. First note rises, second note rises then falls. Alarm call, a short scream usually uttered twice (1–3 times). Habits: Solitary, but lives in pairs. Vocal and best located by song. Hops about on the forest floor, feeding on invertebrates. Nests at the base of a tree; domed nest made of leaves, etc. on a platform of sticks. Eggs (2) white, with dark spots and splotches. Range: NG, NW Is (Batanta, Gebe, Misool, Salawati, Waigeo), Bay Is (Yapen), Aru Is, SE Is (Goodenough, Fergusson, Rossel), 0–1200 m. Also Wallacea, Philippines, AU. Taxonomy: Recently proposed for a split into 5 species for the NG Region, but the genetic divergence of these is rather shallow, and 2 are not reliably identifiable by appearance or voice (macklotii and habenichti).
Hooded Pitta Pitta sordida |
15–17 cm. Common but secretive resident in lowland and hill forest. Adult: A black-hooded, green-bodied pitta. Shining turquoise shoulder patch and throat band at the base of the hood. Glittering blue rump patch in Male, reduced or absent in Female. A small red patch under the tail. Juv: Mostly sooty with suggestion of Adult color pattern. Subspp (4, in 2 groups): novaeguineae (NG range except Bay Is) blue-green flanks, glittering throat-band, and lower breast black; rosenbergii (Bay Is: Biak, Numfor) deep blue flanks, no glittering throat-band, and lower breast red like belly. Similar spp: Other pittas quite different. Voice: Song, a loud, musical, somewhat hoarse pair of whistled notes: the first note is flat, the second an interrogative disyllable at higher pitch: kuhwih kuwee? Sings day or night. Alarm call, a repeated kiaw. Habits: Similar to Red-bellied P, with which it broadly co-occurs. At least somewhat nomadic when not breeding. Nest similar to preceding species, roofed over with moss. Eggs (4) white with brown spots. Range: NG and most satellite islands, including all NW Is, Bay Is (Biak, Numfor), Aru Is, and Karkar I, 0–500 (1200) m. Also S Asia through Wallacea and Philippines. Taxonomy: Subsp group rosenbergii perhaps merits species rank.
17–18 cm. Resident in monsoon forest and mangroves of Trans-Fly. Some birds may be migrants from AU. Adult: Yellow-tan breast and flanks with black blotch in center. Black head with chestnut crown. Shining, pale shoulder patch. Juv: Similar but duller and with simpler pattern, lacking dark chin and throat, dark belly patch, and pale shoulder patch. Subspp (1): simillima (also AU). Similar spp: Other pittas lack yellowish underparts and chestnut crown. Voice: Song resembles Hooded P, but lower pitched: walk-to-work! Alarm call similar to that of Hooded P. Habits: Similar to other pittas. Nests on the ground at the base of a tree trunk or rarely on a stump; nest a bulky structure with side entrance, made of sticks, leaves, bark, etc. (AU data). Eggs (3–4) white with dark spots and blotches. Range: NG: Trans-Fly and vagrant to Port Moresby area in SE Pen, 0–100 m. Also AU.
BOWERBIRDS AND CATBIRDS: Ptilonorhynchidae
The bowerbirds are an old and distinctive family of 21 species confined to Australia and the New Guinea Region (with 13 spp). Their namesake feature is the bower, a complex structure of sticks and other materials built on the ground by the male and used by him as a display stage for attracting females with which to mate. All but the catbirds are bower builders and polygynous. Each species builds a bower unique to it, with some variation. There are 2 broad types of bowers that define the 2 main branches of the bowerbird family tree. Maypole bowers are typically constructed around a central pole, usually the trunk of a sapling. Avenue bowers are platforms supporting 2 or more walls of upright sticks that form an avenue between them. The NG bowerbirds are found mainly in the hills and mountains, although 3 species are primarily lowland dwelling. All are highly frugivorous, and some are fig specialists.
White-eared Catbird Ailuroedus buccoides |
(White-throated Catbird)
24–25 cm. A common and vocal but retiring forest dweller of lowlands and foothills; difficult to observe. Frequents midstory of forest interior. Note bright green back, wings, and tail, pale buff breast with profuse small black spots, and white ear-patch. Lacks white tail tip of Black-eared CB. Adult: Bill whitish, iris deep red. Juv: Bill dusky, iris grey. Subspp (3, in 2 groups): buccoides (widespread, exclusive of next subsp) crown dark brown or blackish; geislerorum (NW Lowlands to northern SE Pen) crown pale brown. Similar spp: Black-eared CB generally does not co-occur, has a black ear, scalloped or mottled breast, and a white tail tip. Voice: Song, given from cover of vegetation, is a very harsh, drawn-out, rasping or grating shh n shh n shh n … of 3–4 sec duration. Reminiscent of song of Stout-billed Cuckooshrike. Call is a very high-pitched, short, metallic chink! Also a short, piercing ss. Wings produce a rustling noise. Habits: Wary, a master at concealment, but will approach “spishing” or song imitations. Generally observed only by waiting quietly in the forest interior and allowing the bird to approach. Encountered singly, in pairs, or in family groups of 3. Feeds on fruit and large insects. Witnessed attacking small birds; consumes small birds trapped in mist-nets; probably depredates nests as well. Monogamous. Nest a cup of sticks with a few interior leaves placed in a pandanus or sapling 2–3 m up. Egg (1) pale coffee-colored with no markings. Range: Endemic. NG, NW Is (Batanta, Salawati, Waigeo), and Bay Is (Yapen), 0–800 m (locally to 1200 m). Absent from Trans-Fly.
Black-eared Catbird Ailuroedus melanotis |
(Spotted or Green Catbird, A. crassirostris)
28–29 cm. The catbird of lower mountains and remnant rainforest and monsoon forest in the Trans-Fly. Distribution patchy, but often common where found. Mostly above elevational range of White-eared CB, where their ranges overlap. A hefty, green-backed forest dweller with a dark ear-patch, underparts variously scalloped rather than black-spotted, and tail conspicuously white-tipped. Adult: Red iris. Juv: Grey iris; finer spotting and streaking on head. Subspp (6): Geographic patterns complex and showing variation mainly in darkness of head pattern, the amount of green vs brown on the head, and markings on breast. Similar spp: White-eared CB exhibits a white ear-patch, has black-spotted underparts, and lacks the white tail tip. In flight: Catbirds sail through forest on their short rounded wings, much like a small green goshawk; look for the white tail tip of Black-eared. Voice: A weird, nasal, wavering 3- or 4-part song: nranh a ranh a ranh, repeated every 15 sec or so—a distinctive vocalization of the hill forest, reminiscent of a growling cat. Similar to vocalization of Stout-billed Cuckooshrike, but the latter lacks the peculiar catlike quality. Call note easily overlooked—a loud, high-pitched chink! Habits: Wary and difficult to observe, even at favored fruiting trees. Inhabits forest canopy, but regularly visits the ground. Diet is mainly fruit (especially figs) and arthropods. Habitually depredates bird nests, eating the eggs and young, and with stealthy flight will opportunistically attack small birds, presumably to capture and eat. Monogamous. Nest is placed in a low sapling or pandanus; nest is a large, bulky, open cup. Eggs (1–2) creamy white or buff. Range: Nearly all NG mts (no record from the Cyclops Mts), 900–1800 m (rarely up to 2250 m); lowland populations occur on Misool I, Aru Is, and the Trans-Fly. Also NE AU.
Streaked Bowerbird Amblyornis subalaris |
22 cm. SE Pen, where it is a locally common inhabitant of mid-mountain forests at elevations mostly lower than those of the very similar Macgregor’s BB, from which separated by its distinctly streaked throat and breast and smaller size. Male: Exhibits a short, broad orange crest, typically obscured except in display. Female, Juv, and Imm: Lack crest. Similar spp: The very similar Macgregor’s BB inhabits higher elevations and lacks mottling ventrally; male exhibits a longer crest. Black Pitohui female also lacks throat mottling. Voice: Loud, unmusical notes, similar to those of Macgregor’s BB. Calls from inside bower. Habits: Generally similar to other gardener bowerbirds. Male builds a hutlike bower of sticks, with 2 entrances and a vertical front wall decorated with flowers and fruit; bower is sited only on slopes off the ridge crest. Nest a cup of leaves, sticks, and twigs. Egg (1) yellowish white. Range: Endemic. NG: SE Pen (S watershed from the Angabanga R northwest of Port Moresby to Milne Bay, around the East Cape, and on the N scarp west to Mt Suckling), 1000–1400 m (extremes 700–1800 m).
Macgregor’s Bowerbird Amblyornis macgregoriae |
26 cm. This is the widespread gardener bowerbird, occupying upper mid-mountain and cloud forests of the Central Ranges and Adelbert Mts. Common. Male is predictably found at or near his bower, which is set atop a ridge crest; otherwise, the species is difficult to observe. A chunky, uniformly olive-brown bird with a large head and rounded wings and tail. Lacks any streaking on underparts. Male: Head shape influenced by the long, orange nuchal crest, which extends down back (orange plumes often folded in and not seen). Female, Juv, and Imm: Entirely olive brown, with blunt blackish bill. Subspp (2): Minor. Similar spp: Female Black Pitohui similar but longer-tailed, more greyish olive, and with hooked bill. Female Streaked BB has visible mottling on throat and breast. Female Crested Satinbird has olive-green plumage and diagnostic forehead groove. Female Loria’s Satinbird is olive green. Voice: Call, a conspicuous, loud, harsh note repeated twice: urschweet urschweet, rapidly delivered. Advertisement calls at the bower imitate other birds and environmental sounds, mixed with odd scraping, rasping, and clicking sounds. Habits: Usually seen singly. A shy canopy dweller that forages for fruit and large insects in forest interior, rarely at edge. Male displays at his maypole bower of small twigs built up around a sapling pole surrounded by a circular mossy base of ~1 m diameter with an elevated rim. Various bower decorations may include charcoal, berries, insect frass, fungi. Bower placed atop a ridge crest. Nest typically built in the head of a pandanus 2–3 m above ground; nest a cup of leaves and sticks. Egg (1) creamy white. Range: Endemic. NG Central Ranges, Adelbert Mts, and Mt Bosavi, 1600–3300 m (occasionally as low as 1200 m). Taxonomy: The Huon Peninsula form has been separated as a distinct species.
Huon Bowerbird Amblyornis germana |
(formerly considered a subspecies of Macgregor’s Bowerbird)
25 cm. Confined to the mountains of the Huon Peninsula, where it is the only gardener bowerbird. Male: Short-crested and short-winged compared with Macgregor’s BB. Female, Juv, and Imm: Similar to Macgregor’s. Similar spp: Black Pitohui female. Voice: Apparently similar to that of Macgregor’s BB. Habits: Bower situated off the ridge crest. Bower is mushroom-like, with a head of twigs and a thick “stem” of more twigs; the circular base is carpeted with moss that rises onto the stem where it is hung with small decorations; this decorated wall faces downslope; the perimeter of the bower is a flat layer of sticks and leaves. Nest unknown. Range: Endemic. NG: Huon Pen, 1700–2400 m. Taxonomy: Recently split from Macgregor’s B because of distinct bower and different bower location.
(Yellow-fronted Bowerbird)
24 cm. Endemic to the Foja Mts, where it is the only gardener bowerbird. Common in cloud forest. Male: Exhibits an orangish-yellow forehead, crown, and nuchal crest, and rich olive-brown body plumage. Female, Juv, and Imm: Lack crest; similar to others of the genus. Similar spp: Black Pitohui female. Voice: Male gives repeated harsh notes and also a repeated kuk kuk kuk kuk. Advertisement calls similar to those of other Amblyornis spp. Habits: Similar to Macgregor’s BB. Relatively tame at the bower; otherwise difficult to observe, but vocal. Polygynous. Builds a maypole similar to that of Macgregor’s BB but with ornamentation of mainly blue fruit and perimeter ridge absent. Bower set on the ridge crest. Nest unknown. Range: Endemic. NG: Foja Mts, 1000–2000 m.
Vogelkop Bowerbird Amblyornis inornata |
25 cm. The only maypole bowerbird in the Bird’s Head and Bird’s Neck regions, where common in mid-mountain and lower cloud forest. All plumages: Plain, drab, olive brown, large-headed. No crest. Similar spp: Not separable from female and imm of Macgregor’s or Golden-fronted BB. Female Black Pitohui is very similar but has a heavier, blackish, hooked bill and a smaller head. Voice: Call, a strident chree chree or chuck chuck chuck, as well as other weird metallic sounds, and the scheeurr note similar to that of other gardener bowerbirds. Advertisement calls at the bower include catlike meows, drumming, rapping, ticking, and creaking noises, plus mimicry of songs of other bird species. Habits: Generally solitary. Vocal and active. Feeding behavior and ecology presumably similar to Macgregor’s BB. Polygynous. Builder of the largest and most elaborate bower in NG—a conical hut 1 m high supported by a pole in the center and 1.6 m in diameter, with entrance and front lawn, both decorated with discrete piles of flowers, fungi, and fruits. Bower is built on a flat patch of forest floor on a ridgetop or flank. Nest 2.5 m up in sapling; a stick cup with leaf lining. Egg (1) plain whitish. Range: Endemic. NG: Bird’s Head and Neck (Arfak, Tamrau, Wandammen, Fakfak, and Kumawa Mts), 1000–2000 m. Taxonomy: Populations from the Kumawa and Fakfak Mts are apparently referable to this species, but their bower is a maypole without a conical stick hut.
Archbold’s Bowerbird Archboldia papuensis |
(Sanford’s or Tomba Bowerbird, A. sanfordi)
35–37 cm. An elusive, blackish canopy dweller restricted to a few high portions of the Central Ranges. Note longish tail. Usually rare, in high cloud forest and at timberline. Male: Long, narrow, yellow crest, otherwise dull black; crown flat; tail forked. Female: Entirely dull blackish but for ochre mark on base of primaries visible at rest and in flight. Imm Male: Lacks the yellow crest. Subspp (2): Minor, differing in measurements. Race papuensis known from W Ranges (upper Baliem, Ilaga, and near Paniai Lakes). Race sanfordi known only from the E Ranges (SW slopes of Mt Hagen and NE slopes of Mt Giluwe westward to Doma Peaks). Similar spp: The astrapias have longer, narrow, unforked tails. Short-tailed Paradigalla has a very brief tail. The blackish Melidectes and Melipotes honeyeaters are smaller and exhibit facial wattles. Voice: An unpleasant 1- or 2-note song; harsh, downslurred sherrd sherrd or catlike gnaad! Various unmusical notes and mimicry are delivered by Male at the bower. Habits: Apparently inhabits only open, frost-disturbed, high plateau forest with pandanus, podocarp trees, and scrambling bamboo; absent from steep, ridge and ravine habitat predominating in most montane regions. To date, known only from a few localities. Seen singly or in Female-offspring pairs. Wary while foraging at fruiting trees. Polygynous. Male displays at a most unusual bower, with 2 structural components: (1) a broad stage of matted ferns decorated with snail shells, King of Saxony Bird of Paradise plumes, and other small objects and (2) over the stage, the low branches shrouded in trailing stems of epiphytic orchids. Nest situated in a low sapling; nest is a cup of sticks, leaves, and twiglets. Egg (1) pale buff with slight gloss and sparse, tiny spots. Range: Endemic. NG: W and E Ranges, 2300–2900 m (extremes 1800–3660 m).
Masked Bowerbird Sericulus aureus |
(Golden Bowerbird, Xanthomelus aureus)
24–25 cm. An elusive canopy dweller of lower mountain forests of the North and West. Uncommon. Male: A spectacular orange, yellow, and black bird with a black face, yellow iris, and black-tipped grey bill. Female and presumably Juv: Olive brown dorsally, yellow below with fine dark scalloping on chin and throat. Imm Male: Sequence presumably as for Flame BB. Similar spp: Flame BB male lacks the black face; female has yellow chin and throat streak. Golden Myna has a black back and wings. Voice: Apparently typical of the genus—harsh rasping notes and faint ksh notes. Habits: Active but shy. Small avenue stick bower constructed in forest interior on a low, flat ridge. Decorates bower with leaves and blue and purple fruits. Nest and egg unknown. Range: Endemic. NG: Bird’s Head and Bird’s Neck (Wandammen Pen) and northern portion of the Central Ranges (Weyland Mts eastward to Jimi R) and the Foja and N Coastal Mts, 850–1400 m. Taxonomy: Formerly included Flame BB.
Flame Bowerbird Sericulus ardens |
25–26 cm. Confined to lowland and foothill forest of the Southern Lowlands. Uncommon. Male: Bright yellow with black wing edgings and tail, and a flaming reddish-orange head, nape, and mantle. Bill ivory and iris white. Female and presumably Juv: Olive brown above and yellow below, with a dark face and yellow chin and throat; lacks mottling and scalloping on the throat; iris dark. Imm Male: Resembles Female but iris white and bill yellowish at the base; Adult plumage attained first on the head. Similar spp: Male unique in lacking black face of other golden bowerbirds. Female similar to female Masked BB but shows a clear yellow chin and throat streak (these dark-scaled in Masked). Voice: Harsh rasping and hissing notes typical of the genus; also an oft-repeated churring shh or faint ksh note. Habits: Solitary except at fruiting trees and at bower, where many congregate. Inhabits lowland rainforest and monsoon forest. Especially attracted to patches of regrowth and village rubber plantations. A canopy-dwelling frugivore partial to figs; diet includes some insects. Makes midmorning flights over the canopy. Polygynous. Builds a small avenue bower consisting of a parallel row of vertically woven sticks. Bower sited on flat ground in a small opening in the forest, at forest edge, or in the forest itself. Nest and egg unknown. Range: Endemic. NG: S Lowlands (Mimika and Wataikwa Rs eastward to Nomad R, Mt Bosavi, and very locally in the Trans-Fly), 0–750 m. Taxonomy: Formerly treated as conspecific with the Masked BB. The 2 species presumably meet at the Mimika and Wataikwa Rs, where males with intermediate plumage occur.
Fire-maned Bowerbird Sericulus bakeri |
(Adelbert or Beck’s Bowerbird, Xanthomelus bakeri)
26–27 cm. Endemic to the lower montane forest of the Adelbert Mts. Uncommon. Male: Unmistakable: velvety black with an orange-red cape and broad, yellow wing patch. Female and presumably Juv: Grey-brown dorsally and pale grey below with fine scalloping, reminiscent of a female King of Saxony Bird of Paradise. Imm Male: Sequence presumably as for Flame BB. Similar spp: Female is duller and more lightly barred than female birds of paradise. Voice: Call, k-skgg!, similar to the sharp hissing and rasping notes of the Yellow-breasted BB. This call is the best means of locating it. Habits: A shy inhabitant of forest canopy where it forages for figs, other fruits, and arthropods. Small avenue bower of sticks is placed on a gentle slope below a ridge and decorated with blue fruit and a few leaves. Nest situated in an Asplenium fern, 15 m up in a tree. Egg and nest structure unknown. Range: Endemic. NG: Adelbert Mts, 900–1400 m.
Yellow-breasted Bowerbird Chlamydera lauterbachi |
(Lauterbach’s Bowerbird)
25–28 cm. A streaky bowerbird with a yellow cast that inhabits montane forest edge, margins of grassland, scrubby regrowth, abandoned gardens, and cultivation, where locally common; also patchy in like habitats of Sepik-Ramu lowlands. Shy and nervous, keeping to cover, but also curious and will mount a high perch to watch human intruders. Most often seen flying through scrub openings, with its peculiar head-up undulating flight. Note square-shaped head with flat crown. Adult: Grey-brown dorsally with pale feather-edgings; throat heavily streaked; breast and belly washed with yellow (Female and Imm duller). Crown plain and unstreaked, greenish or coppery. Juv: Crown with white shaft streaking; upperparts with less obvious white spotting. Subspp (2): lauterbachi (Sepik-Ramu and Huon) orange-washed crown; uniformis (remainder of range but includes parts of the Sepik) dull greenish crown. Similar spp: Fawn-breasted BB has an orange-buff breast and belly, otherwise very similar. The two co-occur in some localities. Voice: A sharp chilp chilp chilp, and rasping and hissing calls, probably not distinguishable from those of the Fawn-breasted BB. Alarm call is like a rap on a cardboard box. Habits: Solitary or in small groups. Takes fruit and arthropods from low trees and shrubs. Polygynous. The bower, an impressively substantial stick structure unique for having 4 walls, is situated in thickets near grassland and decorated with blue, red, or green berries and pebbles. Nests in shrub or tall grass, ~2 m up; nest is a neat cup of twigs and grass on a loose foundation of twigs. Egg (1) pearl grey marked with grey and black. Range: Endemic. NG: patchily distributed in mid-mountains from W Ranges to E Ranges, north through the lowlands to N Coastal Mts and east to head of Ramu R and N slopes of the Huon Pen, 0–1750 m. Taxonomy: The relationship of the 2 forms, which both occur in the Sepik-Ramu, needs to be clarified.
Fawn-breasted Bowerbird Chlamydera cerviniventris |
28–30 cm. A pale greyish bowerbird mainly of lowland scrub, preferring the transitional thickets between grassland and forest, also edges of mangroves and towns; has colonized areas of habitat clearing in mid-mountain valleys. Locally common. In flight, note short blunt bill, flat crown, and its distinctive head-up, undulating flight pattern. All plumages: A heavy bird, grey-tan above, orange-buff below. Upperparts with fine, pale scalloping. Crown, face, and throat with profuse pale streaks. Similar spp: Yellow-breasted BB exhibits yellow breast and belly and unstreaked cap of yellowish green or orange. Australasian Figbird and other orioles lack the fawn breast. Voice: Many rasping, churring, and harsh notes strung together. Also bizarre mechanical sounds. As with other bowerbirds, an accomplished mimic. Sometimes ventriloquial. Habits: Solitary, sometimes gregarious. Noisy, but shy and wary. Often perches on an open dead branch overlooking grasslands. Diet is mainly fruit and some insects. Polygnynous. Builds a substantial, 2-walled avenue bower of sticks decorated with clusters of green berries on the bower platform, situated in a thicket. Nest built in a tree or shrub, ~4 m up; nest similar to that of Yellow-breasted BB. Egg (1) creamy with hint of green, heavily marked. Range: NG: Largely confined to coastal areas of eastern NG, westward in North to Jayapura, westward in South to the Trans-Fly, 0–500 m; also on the Bird’s Head (Ransiki, Kebar Valley) and locally in the mts of SE Pen, to 1800 m. Also NE AU.
AUSTRALASIAN TREECREEPERS: Climacteridae
A small family of 7 species endemic to Australia and the mountains of New Guinea (1 sp). In shape and habits, the Australasian treecreepers resemble the creepers of Eurasia and North America, except that they do not use the tail as a prop when creeping. They are unrelated to the creepers, instead being an ancient family closest to bowerbirds. Treecreepers are small brown birds with enormously elongated toes and claws. They are the only songbirds in the region that habitually climb up the trunks of trees, searching for small arthropods hiding in the bark. Although usually silent when foraging, during certain seasons they deliver an attractive whistled song throughout the day. The New Guinea species probably breeds in simple pairs and nests in tree hollows, like its closest relative in Australia.
Papuan Treecreeper Cormobates placens |
(Climacteris placens)
14–15 cm. Locally common in montane forest. Treecreepers and pygmy parrots are the only birds in the NG Region that creep up tree trunks or larger branches. A small olive bird with scaly markings on the crown, belly, and flanks. Male: Lacks rufous facial stripe. Female: Shows rufous moustachial stripe and usually more markings on belly. Juv: Breast indistinctly mottled. In flight: Pale buff stripe in wings. Subspp (3, in 2 groups): placens (Bird’s Head and Border Ranges east to Tari, E Ranges) greyish olive; meridionalis (SE Pen) brownish olive. Similar spp: None. Voice: Song, a beautiful, mellow series of repeated flutelike notes slowly increasing in volume and emphasis, the last note held longer, du du du du du du du duu. When paired birds call together, one answers the other with a call at lower pitch. Another song similar to trill of Fan-tailed Cuckoo. Another call is a faint nasal triplet, chu chee chu. Habits: Solitary or in pairs. Usually on vertical trunks, hitching its way upward until reaching some limit, then swooping to the base of the next tree and beginning to climb again. Feeds on insects and spiders. (Its closest relative in AU takes mostly ants.) While foraging often accompanied by a fantail, which snatches flushed insects. Vocalizations and occasional aggressive behavior suggest territorial habits. No nesting information. Range: Endemic. NG: Bird’s Head and Central Ranges, although oddly absent from most of the E Ranges, but present in SE Pen, 1200–3000 m. Taxonomy: The 2 races are quite isolated and different; should be investigated for degree of phylogenetic divergence.
FAIRYWRENS AND ALLIES: Maluridae
The fairywrens, emuwrens, and grasswrens are a small family of 29 species confined to Australia and New Guinea. Only the fairywrens are represented in the New Guinea Region, where there are 6 species. Fairywrens are small perky insectivores with a broad bill and long tail that is held erect. Many species have strikingly beautiful plumage, vibrant blue and black being their hallmark colors. They are mainly birds of the lowlands and hill country, and only the Orange-crowned Fairywren dwells solely in the mountains. Of the New Guinea species, Wallace’s Fairywren is the most distinct in form and habitat, occupying the interior of primary forest and foraging both high and low in the trees. The other species prefer dense thickets in openings and live close to the ground. Fairywrens forage quickly and keep to cover in their search for insects and spiders, which they take by gleaning. They live in small family groups composed of parents and older offspring, the latter helping to raise the young of the year. These groups are territorial and vocal, with high-pitched songs and calls. Despite their colorful plumage and social ways, fairywrens are somewhat secretive, so the best way to locate them is to listen for their high-pitched scolding. There are 2 groups of species: a group that inhabits forest, with broad bills and long rictal bristles (Wallace’s, Orange-crowned, Broad-billed, and Campbell’s), and a group that dwells in scrub and thickets (Emperor and White-shouldered), with narrow bills and short rictal bristles.
Wallace’s Fairywren Sipodotus wallacii |
(Todopsis wallacii)
11–12 cm. Uncommon and inconspicuous, but widespread in hill forest and second growth. In groups, often with other small insectivores, calling incessantly while foraging in midstory. Oddly for a fairywren, the species holds its body horizontal as though stretched, and the tail is not cocked. Adult: A tiny, uniquely patterned, warbler-like bird with all-white underparts and wing bars, rufous back, and black crown streaked with blue. Face marked with a partial eye-ring and white cheek tuft. Throat white in Male, buff white in Female. Juv: Duller; crown dark grey and spotted buff, wing bars buff. Similar spp: Gerygones that show white underparts lack wing bars, have a shorter bill, and upperparts patterned differently. Female Emperor FW similarly patterned but larger and has blue throat and no wing bars. Voice: A rapid series of ~10 tss notes lasting 5 sec, or some variation; notes so high pitched as to be barely audible. Also a distinctive buzzy note. Habits: Forages from the shrub layer to canopy, mainly higher than 3 m, in forest tangles and thickets. Lives in pairs or small groups, probably families; some evidence of cooperative breeding with immature helpers. Joins foraging flocks of warblers, monarchs, whistlers, and fantails. Takes insects and spiders by gleaning. Nests in midstory vine tangles; nest domed and pendent with side entrance, built of grass and palm leaf strips. Eggs (2) white, a few blotches. Range: Endemic. NG, NW Is (Misool), Bay Is (Yapen), and Aru Is, 0–1100 m. All NG except eastern Sepik-Ramu, Huon, and most of northern SE Pen.
Orange-crowned Fairywren Clytomyias insignis |
14–16 cm. A rare and local fairywren of cloud forest thickets. All plumages: Unique orange-rufous cap. Subspp (2): Minor. Similar spp: None. Voice: Song a sibilant chattering. An active vocalist with a variety of high, scolding notes and squeaks jiyub! jiyub! Habits: Lives in small groups occupying large territories that encompass forest openings or edge overgrown with shrubbery and climbing bamboo. Active, quick moving, difficult to observe. Cocks tail. Nest built in vine or shrub ~1 m up; nest domed with hooded side entrance, constructed mainly of live moss. Eggs (2) white with sparse spotting. Range: Endemic. NG: Bird’s Head, Central Ranges, and Huon, 1700–2800 m.
Broad-billed Fairywren Chenorhamphus grayi |
(Malurus grayi)
12–14 cm. A rare, soft blue fairywren fond of small patches of regrowth appearing after tree falls and landslides within primary forest of hills and nearby lowlands. Both sexes with blue mantle. Male: Crown mottled blue, belly blue. Female: Crown brown, belly white. Juv: Mostly brown with little blue; look for brown in the crown and underparts. Similar spp: See Campbell’s FW. Emperor FW prefers more disturbed habitat—forest edge and second growth; has deep, brilliant purplish blue plumage; breast and belly deep blue in male and white in female. Voice: Song a 3-sec series of many rapid-fire ts notes. High-pitched ss calls similar to other fairywrens and a high-pitched upslur. Habits: Although it favors breaks in tall forest, this species differs from Emperor FW by avoiding regrowth in man-made clearings and forest edge, such as along rivers; thus the 2 species are rarely found together. In pairs or small family groups; territories far apart. Forages similarly to other fairywrens on the ground and in the undergrowth to ~5 m. One nest reported 0.5 m up in a cavity in a moss clump attached to a sapling. No egg information. Range: Endemic. NG and NW Is (Salawati), 0–1000 m (rarely 1500 m). NG: Bird’s Head and Neck, NW Lowlands, and W Sepik-Ramu.
Campbell’s Fairywren Chenorhamphus campbelli |
(formerly included in Broad-billed Fairywren, C. grayi)
11–12 cm. Replaces Broad-billed FW in S Lowlands. Distinguished from that species by smaller size, crown black in both sexes, and mantle brown. Sexes alike. Voice: Presumably similar to Broad-billed FW. Habits: Similar to Broad-billed FW. Nest and egg: no information. Range: Endemic. NG, where its range in S Lowlands is known only from Mt Bosavi and sightings near Kiunga (presumably this form), 100–800 m. Taxonomy: Arguably a form of Broad-billed FW, although distinct in plumage and DNA.
Emperor Fairywren Malurus cyanocephalus |
(Todopsis cyanocephala)
13–16 cm. The common fairywren of dense thickets in abandoned gardens and at the forest edge. Male: Intense dark blue—an electric spark when it flies! Female: Boldly patterned: blue head, chestnut back, white underparts, and white-tipped tail. Juv: Similar to Female, but duller; head dusky black, not blue. Subspp (3): Minor. Similar spp: Wallace’s FW has white throat and wing bars. Broad-billed FW has blue breast and is not as brightly patterned. Fantails might be confused with female Emperor, but lack blue head. Voice: Song unusual for a fairywren yet easily recognized although it varies locally—a long, medium-paced series of burry warbles and brief rapid trills suggestive of a thrush. Scolding call a rapid chitting: tst, tst, tst…. Habits: Lives in noisy family groups foraging within 2 m of the ground in dense growth. Tends not to join mixed flocks. Territorial and probably breeds cooperatively. Cocks tail like most fairywrens, but also partially fans it. Nest 1 m off the ground in a bush; gourd-shaped with side entrance, built of strips of fern and other leaves and mosses. Egg, no information. Range: Endemic. NG, NW Is (Salawati), Bay Is (Biak, Yapen), and Aru Is, 0–1000 m. Throughout NG lowlands except Huon and northern SE Pen.
White-shouldered Fairywren Malurus alboscapulatus |
10–13 cm. A common and widespread inhabitant of grasslands and low shrubby regrowth; likely seen near human settlement and along road verges. Male: A tiny, jet-black bird with white shoulder patch and cocked tail. Female: Color varies geographically, see Subspp. All differ from Male in having white partial eye-ring or brow. Juv: Similar to Imm, but duller, i.e., greyer or browner. Imm: Mostly similar to Female, but all-black subspecies have some white on chin and abdomen or not. Subspp (6): 2 groups by color of Female. Black Group, alboscapulatus: either pied as in alboscapulatus (Bird’s Head) with mostly white underparts and naimii (Sepik-Ramu, eastern E Ranges, western SE Pen) more black on flanks; or all black like Male but duller, wings brownish as in aida (NW Lowlands, probably Border Ranges), kutubu (northeastern S Lowlands, southwestern E Ranges), and moretoni (Huon and SE Pen, eastward in South to Port Moresby area). Brown Group, lorentzi (S Lowlands, southern W Ranges) Female pale brown, white brow and throat. Similar spp: Pied Bushchat shares habitat, but much larger, chunkier, does not cock tail. Cisticolas and grassbirds could be confused with brown female White-shouldered FW in S Lowlands. Other FWs occupy forest, not grass and scrub. Voice: Song a high-pitched, rapid-fire, twittering reel lasting ~5 sec, typical of a fairywren. Calls are an incessant high churring and chattering. Habits: One of the most familiar grassland birds. Usually shy and remains hidden in thick shrubs or tall grass, but groups are noisy, and inquisitive birds eventually ascend to an elevated perch. Lives in small, territorial family groups; breeds cooperatively. Gleans small insects and spiders in dense cover. Nests in shrub or tall grass within 2 m of ground; nest domed with side entrance, composed of grass and leaves. Eggs (2–4) pinkish white, speckled. Range: Endemic. NG, although no records from Bomberai Pen (Bird’s Neck), 0–2000 m, occasionally to 3000 m. (A sighting from Fergusson I in SE Is lacks confirmation.) Taxonomy: Females quite distinct and may indicate more than 1 species.