Includes Perplexing Scrubwren; Alternative names: Mountain Scrubwren; Noisy Scrubwren; Large Mountain Scrubwren; Large Mountain Sericornis
- Sericornis nouhuysi
Identification
11.5-13.5 cm. A rather large montane scrubwren with a long bill and a distinctive rusty tinge on face.
- Olive-brown crown
- Buffy rufous forehead and face
- Dark brownish-olive upperparts with browner tail and upperwing
- Dull buffy olive underparts with rufous tinge on chin and upper throat
- Black or brownish-black bill
- Red-brown to orange-brown eye
- cantans with rufous of face extending to breast, greyer buff belly, darker upperparts
- stresemanni with darker tail and less rufous in plumage and distinctively yellowish-olive underparts, heavily rufous or pale brown washed or mottled breast and darker flanks
- oorti browner on tail, wings and head, more olive on back, buffy rufous on chin and sides of head, yellowish-olive underparts, more olive on flanks and rufous undertail-coverts
- monticola similar to oorti but with paler underparts
Sexes similar, juvenile undescribed.
Similar species
More rufous and less greenish than Papuan Scrubwren, also lacks subterminal tailband. Larger than Buff-faced Scrubwren and Grey-green Scrubwren.
Distribution
Endemic to the mountains of New Guinea.
Common in most of its range.
Taxonomy
Several subspecies were formerly placed in Tropical Scrubwren, and two were formerly considered a full species, Perplexing Scrubwren.
Subspecies
Eleven subspecies are recognized[1].
- S. n. cantans in northwestern New Guinea (mountains of Bird's Head Peninsula; populations of Fakfak and Kumawa mountains probably also this subspecies)
- S. n. jobiensis in Yapen Island (New Guinea)
- S. n. nouhuysi in highlands of western New Guinea (Weyland, Nassau, and Oranje mountains)
- S. n. idenburgi in northern New Guinea (northeastern portion of the Western Ranges, on slopes above the Taritatu River); this subspecies may represent a population that is composed of intergrades between Tropical and Large scrubwrens, rather than a valid taxon
- S. n. boreonesioticus in northern New Guinea (Toricelli Mountains); possibly a junior synonym of virgatus
- S. n. virgatus in highlands of eastern New Guinea (upper Sepik-Ramu river drainages)
- S. n. pontifex in north-central New Guinea (Sepik Mountains)
- S. n. stresemanni in the central Highlands of New Guinea; possibly a junior synonym of virgatus
- S. n. adelberti in northeastern New Guinea (Adelbert Mountains)
- S. n. oorti in New Guinea (Herzog Mountains and mountains of Huon Peninsula)
- S. n. monticola in southeastern New Guinea (high Owen Stanley Mountains)
Habitat
Moist montane forest and secondary growth.
Occurs mainly at 1400 to 3500 m, occasionally lower or higher.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on arthropods, takes sometimes seeds.
Usually seen in small groups of 4 to 5 birds in lower levels of forest. Forages similar to Blue-capped Ifrita or Australian Treecreepers, but in lower levels.
Breeding
Breeding recorded from April to December. The nest is a bulky dome with a side entrance near the top. It's made of dry pandanus leaves and rootles and placed in lower leaves of pandanus or in moss clump suspended from tree limb. Lays 2 eggs.
Movements
This is a sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2023. IOC World Bird List (v 13.1)_red. Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.13.1. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
- 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
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Large Scrubwren. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Large_Scrubwren
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
