- Grallina bruijnii
Identification
20cm.
Male
- White line above eye and white patch from ear-coverts down to side of neck
- Black rest of head, upperparts to rump, throat and breast
- Pale buff uppertail-coverts and undertail-coverts
- Buffy white tail with broad black subterminal band
- Black upperwing, most of secondary wing-coverts white
- White lower underparts
- Dark brown eye
- Lead-grey to pale blue-grey bill with white tip
- Blue-grey legs
Female
- Black head with white band extending from base of bill trough and above eye onto side of neck
- White breast and underwing-coverts
- Pale buff flanks and lower abdomen
Juveniles are similar to females but have the area between the base of bill and the eye black.
Distribution
Endemic to the hills and mountains of New Guinea.
Fairly common in its range.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Has been placed in the monotypic genus Pomareopsis.
Habitat
Near fast-flowing, small streams in rainforest and grassland. Occurs from 400 to 2300m, up to 2800m in the Snow Mountains.
Behaviour
Feeds on invertebrates, takes occasionally also small lizards.
Forages on the ground near or in rushing water, searches for items among boulders and fallen trees. Also takes items from surface of water.
A very active bird, constantly flying about and calling. Persistently wags tail from side to side or fans wings. Usually seen in pairs or small groups.
Breeding recorded from June to January. The nest is a cup made of mud and rootlets. It's placed on a tree branch or in a bush close to a stream. Lays 1 - 4 eggs.
Probably a sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Torrent-lark. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 January 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Torrent-lark
