Alternative names: Lowland Jewel-babbler; Lowland Eupetes; Lowland Rail-babbler; Blue Scrub-thrush
- Ptilorrhoa caerulescens
Includes: Dimorphic Jewel-babbler
Identification
22 - 23cm.
- Most of the plumage blue
- White chin to upper breast bordered by black band from lores through face and across breast
- Black bill and legs
- Nigricrissus with a narrow white eyebrow
- Geislerorum with a dull greyish-brown crown
Females are similar to males but smaller and a bit more white. Females of geislerorum are very different to males. The blue is replaced by with chestnut-brown.
Distribution
Endemic to New Guinea.
Common but hard to see.
Taxonomy
Four subspecies recognized:
- P. c. caerulescens on West Papuan Islands (Salawati, Misool) and northwest New Guinea (Vogelkop to Wanggar and Etna Bay)
- P. c. neumanni in north New Guinea (from River Mamberamo to Astrolabe Bay)
- P. c. nigricrissus in south New Guinea from River Wanggar and Etna Bay to Milne Bay
- P. c. geislerorum in northeast New Guinea (from Adelbert Mountains east to Collingwood Bay)
Geislerorum is sometimes accepted as full species, Dimorphic Jewel-babbler (or Brown-capped Jewel-babbler).
Habitat
Moist lowland forest up to 300m. Above replaced by Chestnut-backed Jewel-babbler.
Geislerorum is found up to 800m, locally even 1220m where it co-exists with Chestnut-backed Jewel-babbler.
Behaviour
Feeds on insects.
Forages on the ground. Shy, more often heard than seen.
Breeding recorded in September and December. The nest is a deep cup made of dead leaves and palm fronds. It's placed on the ground in a depression between roots or at the base of a small tree. Lays 2 eggs.
Resident species.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- 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) Blue Jewel-babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 16 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Blue_Jewel-babbler
