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Tit Berrypecker - BirdForum Opus

Alternative names: Painted Berrypecker; Arfak Berrypecker; New Guinea Berrypecker; Afrak Flowerpecker

Photo by mehdhalaouate
Arfak mountains, Vogelkop, West Papua, Indonesia, September 2014
Oreocharis arfaki

Identification

12-14cm. A distinctive passerine.

Male

  • Black head with yellow patch on cheek and ear-coverts
  • Back throat and bib on upper breast
  • Olive-green upperparts
  • Blue-grey uppertail-coverts
  • Black flight-feathers with green edges, tertials with pale yellow terminal spot
  • Brith yellow underparts below bib, burnt orange on abdomen
  • Black bill

Female

  • Diagnostic yellow spotting on tertials and scalloping on flanks
  • Olive-green top of head and upperparts
  • Grey cheek and ear-coverts, plane grey throat and bib

Juveniles and immatures are similar to female.

Distribution

Mountains of New Guinea.
Common in its range.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species.
The described subspecies bloodi is usually not accepted.

Habitat

Moist montane forests. Occurs mainly between 2200 and 2800m.

Behaviour

Diet

Feeds on various small fruits.
Forages in the canopy and visits fruit trees in pairs, small groups or loose flocks of up to 30 birds.

Breeding

Little information about breeding. The nest is said to be a cup-shaped structure made of moss.

Movements

A resident species, probably locally nomadic.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. 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

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