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Blue-capped Ifrita - BirdForum Opus

Alternative names: Ifrit; Blue-capped Ifrita; Bluecapped Babbler; Bluecap

Photo by Windrider
Mt Hagen, Papua, New Guinea,Sept.,2015
Ifrita kowaldi

Identification

16 - 17cm. One of the few poisonous birds.

  • Black crown with broad shiny blue tips
  • Ochre sides of head
  • Mottled dusky ear coverts
  • White or buffy streak behind eye
  • Short white supraorbital line
  • Dark-olive brown upperparts and tail
  • Ochre underparts with paler throat
  • Dark brown iris
  • Brown bill

Females are similar but have a dull yellow streak behind the eye. Juveniles resemble females.

Distribution

Endemic to New Guinea.
Fairly common but in low densities.

Taxonomy

Two subspecies accepted:

  • I. k. brunnea in the Weyland Mountains and Nassau Range in west-central New Guinea
  • I. k. kowaldi in the central and eastern highlands of New Guinea (including the Huon Peninsula)

Habitat

Rainforests

Behaviour

Diet includes insects found on trunks and branches moving like a nuthatch. It slowly climbs bracing itself with its tail as it hangs over the edge in search of food.
Most probably breeds all year. The nest is a deep, buly bowl made of green moss ans some leaf-fern. It's placed 3 to 6m above the ground in a sapling. Lays 1 egg.
Probably a sedentary species.
This species has toxic qualities which are known to the locals who frequently hunt birds for food. If not prepared correctly the toxin causes burning of the mouth and lips.

References

  1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
  2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553422

Recommended Citation

External Links

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.

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