Black Berrypecker - BirdForum Opus

Melanocharis nigra

Identification

11.5cm. A small, short-tailed and stubby-billed forest Berrypecker.

Male

• Shiny blue-black upperparts
• Dark grey underparts
• White pectoral tufts
• Whitish underwing-coverts
• chloroptera with edged green upperwing-coverts and remiges
• pallida with black upperparts and grey underparts
• unicolor is entirely shiny blue-black (apart from pectoral tufts)

Female

• Dull olive-green upperparts
• Olive-grey underparts
• White or yellowish-white pectoral tufts and underwing-coverts

Immatures are similar to females but they have ligthly yellowish washed underparts and a paler base of lower mandible.

Similar species

Mid-mountain Berrypecker has yellowish pectoral tufts and a longer tail.

Distribution

Endemic to New Guinea.
Fairly common and widespread.

Taxonomy

Subspecies^[1]

There are 4 subspecies:

• M. n. pallida:

• Waigeu Island (off western New Guinea)

• M. n. nigra:

• Misool Island, Salawati Island and western New Guinea

• M. n. unicolor:

• Yapen Island, Meos Num Island, northern and eastern New Guinea

• M. n. chloroptera:

• Aru Issland and southern New Guinea (Mimika River to Fly River)

Possibly forms a species pair with Obscure Berrypecker.

Habitat

Moist lowland and hill forest, tall secondary growth and canopy of mature teak plantations.
Occurs from sea-level up to 1200m, locally higher.

Behaviour

Heard far more often than seen.
Feeds on small berries. Takes also insects and spiders.
A very active feeder. Males may forage at higher levels than females.
Breeding recorded in various months. The nest is a neat cup bound to a bare twig fork of a sapling. Lays 1 to 2 eggs.
A sedentary species, some local wanderings recorded.

References

1. 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
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

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Black Berrypecker. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 15 January 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black_Berrypecker

External Links

Search for photos of Black Berrypecker in the gallery