Alternative name: Mountain Berrypecker; Olivaceous Berrypecker (olivacea and alpina)
- Paramythia montium
Identification
19-22cm. A very distinctive species.
- Black forehead, forecrown, crest, face, throat and upper breast
- Whitish to pale grey hindcrown to nape
- Green upperparts and upperwings with blackish-brown wingtip
- Blue-grey tail
- Blue-grey ear-coverts, hindneck and underparts
- Golden olive-yellow lower abdomen and undertail-coverts, also area on flanks (often hidden by wings)
- olivacea has a longer crest and white streak above eye to nape
Sexes similar. Immatures much duller than adults.
Distribution
Endemic to the mountains of New Guinea.
Generally common in its range.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 4 subspecies[1]:
- P. m. montium:
- Central Highlands and Mountains of south-eastern New Guinea
- P. m. olivacea:
- Weyland, Nassau and Jayawijaya Mountains (central New Guinea)
- P. m. alpina:
- Upper slopes of Jayawijaya Mountains and northern slopes of Nassau Mountains
- P. m. brevicauda:
- South-eastern New Guinea (Mountains of Huon Peninsula)
Habitat
Moist montanes.
Mainly above 2450m up to tree-line at ca. 3800 - 4100m.
Behaviour
Feeds mainly on small fruits, occasionally on insects.
Forages actively from canopy to shrubbery levels and even on the ground.
Usually seen in pairs or small flocks, sometimes in larger flocks. These flocks are sometimes accompanied by other species like Blue-capped Ifrit, Black-throated Honeyeater or Friendly Fantail.
Breeding season from August to February. The nest is a deep, untidy cup. It's placed up to 4m above the ground in dense branches of a shrubby bush or a sapling. Lays 1 egg.
A resident, probably locally nomadic.
References
- 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
- 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
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Crested Berrypecker. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 10 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Crested_Berrypecker
