White-eared Catbird
Other common names: White-throated/Barbetlike/Least Catbird
Taxonomy: Kitta buccoides Temminck, 1836, Lobo, Triton Bay, New Guinea. Birds from Waigeo included in
nominate race, but sometimes separated as oorti. Four subspecies recognized.
Crown a variable mid brown to olive-brown with green wash. Below and behind eye, side of lower head and throat mostly whitish. Upper neck, buff with large black feather tips, forming a broad spotted collar. Wing and tail green with a conspicious terminal spot on the outer vane of each secondary. Inner vanes of fligt feathers dark brown. Underving coverts variously buff-yellow, washed dilute cinnamon, but primary coverts darker. Undertail darker than underwing. Remaining underparts buffy to ochreous, sharply contrasted with black feather tipping of spots particularly on the breast. Iris deep blood red, bill whitish washed grey-blue, and feet blue-grey.
Crown a variable mid brown to olive-brown with green wash. Below and behind eye, side of lower head and throat mostly whitish. Upper neck, buff with large black feather tips, forming a broad spotted collar. Wing and tail green with a conspicious terminal spot on the outer vane of each secondary. Inner vanes of fligt feathers dark brown. Underving coverts variously buff-yellow, washed dilute cinnamon, but primary coverts darker. Undertail darker than underwing. Remaining underparts buffy to ochreous, sharply contrasted with black feather tipping of spots particularly on the breast. Iris deep blood red, bill whitish washed grey-blue, and feet blue-grey. Sexes alike. Immature of both sexes as adults but bill slightly darker.
Voice: Vocalize from dense vegetation. A prolonged harsh churring as a "most unpleasant, almost groating sound". Typically calling shreek-it-shreek, the first disyllabic note sharp and the second note more drawn out, and somewhat metallic. Also a sharp chink, and the usual cat-like snarling.
Adult male 25 cm, female 24 cm. Wing 125-143 cm, female 119-139 cm. Bill 27.6-32.5 cm.
Taxonomy: Kitta buccoides Temminck, 1836, Lobo, Triton Bay, New Guinea. Birds from Waigeo included in
nominate race, but sometimes separated as oorti. Four subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- buccoides ( Temminck, 1836) - W Papuan Is (Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati), and NW New Guinea E to Siriwo R in N and, in S, to Triton Bay.
- geislerorum A. B. Meyer, 1891 - Yapen I (in Geelvink Bay) and N New Guinea from Mamberamo R area E to Collingwood Bay area.
- cinnamomeus Mees, 1964 - S New Guinea from Mimika R E to upper Fly R and L Kutubu area.
- stonii Sharpe, 1876 - SE New Guinea from upper Purari R (including Karimui, Bomai and Soliabeda areas, in Eastern Highlands) E along coast to Amazon Bay.
Predominantly lowland and hill, but also monsoon forest in SE. Found singly in pairs, or in family parties. Typically wary and retiring but inquisitive. Hides in vines, heavy epiphytes covering the branches.In dry weather regularly visit forest floor pools to brink and bath.
Fruits and large insects are foraged for among foliage and forest substrate to midstage, and rarely in the canopy. Eats fruits of Elaeocarpus and Piper spp. Female has eaten a few small insects in June. No evidence on seeds eating.
Pair-bonded social monogamy in defended all-pupose territories, but numberes visiting water holes suggests non-territoriality when not breeding. Females have enlarged testes during most months over the sp. range. Nests were <3m above ground in low Pandanus trees.