Distinctive, with deep bill laternally compressed, upper mandible hooked. Male has top of head and upperparts ochraceous olive, more golden on forehead, face and scapulars, lores black, large circular rose- pinkwattle from gape to side of throat on each side; upperwing sooty black or blackish- brown, remiges edged olive- green, wing- covert sooty – black; tail blackish- brown, rectrices edged olive- green; chin and upper throat yellow, lower throat and breast black with olive feather fringes, remainder of undrparts olive- green; iris dark reddish- brown; bill sooty black; legs grey. Female lacks wattle, is ochraceous olive above, pale olive below, breast fainty barred whitish, iris brown, bill greyer. Juvenile is rusty chestnut above, wing- coverts rusty, remiges and rectrices edged with rusty chestnut, breast grey with rusty wash; immature like female, but retains juvenile wing- coverts.
Distinctive, with deep bill laternally compressed, upper mandible hooked. Male has top of head and upperparts ochraceous olive, more golden on forehead, face and scapulars, lores black, large circular rose- pinkwattle from gape to side of throat on each side; upperwing sooty black or blackish- brown, remiges edged olive- green, wing- covert sooty – black; tail blackish- brown, rectrices edged olive- green; chin and upper throat yellow, lower throat and breast black with olive feather fringes, remainder of undrparts olive- green; iris dark reddish- brown; bill sooty black; legs grey. Female lacks wattle, is ochraceous olive above, pale olive below, breast fainty barred whitish, iris brown, bill greyer. Juvenile is rusty chestnut above, wing- coverts rusty, remiges and rectrices edged with rusty chestnut, breast grey with rusty wash; immature like female, but retains juvenile wing- coverts.
12.5- 14 cm; 19- 22 g
Taxonomy: Eulacestoma nigropectus De Vis, 1894, Mount Maneao, south-east New Guinea. Affinities uncertain. A recent proposal separates present genus and Falcunculus in a narrow family Falcunculidae. Proposed race clara, from C ranges (Weyland Mts E to Mt Hagen and Kubor Mts), considered inseparable from populations elsewhere. Monotypic. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Distribution:
- C & E New Guinea from Weyland Mts E to mountains of SE.
Forest and adjoining areas with dense regrowth, mainly at 1950- 2850 m, locally down to 1250 m in SE. Frequents substage and midstage, particularly thickest of climbing bamboo.
Insects. Forages from understorey to middle stage, to c. 10 m, particularly in thickest of climbing bamboo. Gleans prey from surfaces of branches and twigs , especially broken tips when these dead and dry; removes bark by chipping and stripping, digs forcefully in bark and moss. Will lean with head downwards over limb to examine underside for prey. Often joins mixed-species feeding flocks.
Juveniles in May and late Jun and female in breeding condition in Jul, indicative of breeding during both wet and dry seasons. Incubation by male reported; role of female unknown, but presumably shares duty. No other information. NoT.