Alternative names: Plumed Longbill; Dwarf Honeyeater; Grey-bellied Longbill; Long-plumed False-sunbird; Spectacled Longbill
- Oedistoma iliolophus
Toxorhamphus iliolophus, Oedistoma iliolophum
Identification
11cm. A small, drab-looking passerine with a long decurved bill.
- Dark olive-green upperparts
- Olive-grey underparts washed with yellow on flanks
- Narrow fleshy yellow eyering
- cinerascens with grey crown
Sexes similar, immatures undescribed.
Distribution
New Guinea (countries of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea) and some adjacent islands.
Common to abundant in its range.
Taxonomy
Five subspecies recognized:
- O. i. cinerascens on Waigeo (Northern West Papuan Islands)
- O. i. affine in the mountains of Vogelkop in northwest New Guinea
- O. i. iliolophus on Geelvink island and northern and central New Guinea
- O. i. flavum in south and southeast New Guinea
- O. i. fergussonis on the D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago
Habitat
Subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.
From lowlands up to 1200m, locally higher.
Behaviour
Feeds on insects, nectar and occasionally fruit.
Usually seen foraging in lower levels of vegetation and at flowering trees and shrubs.
A very active bird and hard to see well. Seldom still for long, frequently flicks wings.
Recorded singly or in pairs. Does loosely associate with mixed-species flocks with Yellow-bellied Gerygone, Frilled Monarch and Chestnut-bellied Fantail.
Breeding poorly known.
A resident species.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Dickinson, EC, ed. 2003. The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. 3rd ed., with updates to December 2007 (Corrigenda 7). Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691117010
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2010. IOC World Bird Names (version 2.7). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2008. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 13: Penduline-tits to Shrikes. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553453
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Dwarf Longbill. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Dwarf_Longbill
