Nominate race is grey-brown above, with distinct narrow dark loral stripe, obvious white supercilium ending just behind eye, narrow white broken eyering (most obvious on lower half); tail distinctive, with broad blackish subteminal band, large white spots on inner webs of all except central rectrices, and indistinct diffuse white band across base of outermost 2 – 3 pairs; white below, upper flanks generally washed light grey-brown, lower flanks tinged creamy; iris red; bill black, sometimes grey base of lower mandible; legs black. Distinguished from G. magnirostris most readily by supercilium. Sex alike. Juvenile is variably washed lemon-yellow on face, eyering, neck side, throat and breast, with yellow fringes on remiges, eye brown, bill brownish and fading to pale horn at base. Race pallida is browner above, lacks white at bases and near tips of outer webs of outer rectrices; cantanor has marginally longer wing, tarsus and tail and is heavier than nominate, on average slightly darker above, slightly grey-tinged on chin to breast, generally less white at tail base (variable).
Not Threatened
Nominate race is grey-brown above, with distinct narrow dark loral stripe, obvious white supercilium ending just behind eye, narrow white broken eyering (most obvious on lower half); tail distinctive, with broad blackish subteminal band, large white spots on inner webs of all except central rectrices, and indistinct diffuse white band across base of outermost 2 – 3 pairs; white below, upper flanks generally washed light grey-brown, lower flanks tinged creamy; iris red; bill black, sometimes grey base of lower mandible; legs black. Distinguished from G. magnirostris most readily by supercilium. Sex alike. Juvenile is variably washed lemon-yellow on face, eyering, neck side, throat and breast, with yellow fringes on remiges, eye brown, bill brownish and fading to pale horn at base. Race pallida is browner above, lacks white at bases and near tips of outer webs of outer rectrices; cantanor has marginally longer wing, tarsus and tail and is heavier than nominate, on average slightly darker above, slightly grey-tinged on chin to breast, generally less white at tail base (variable).
9.5 – 11.5. cm
Taxonomy: Gerygone levigaster Gould, 1843, Port Essington Coburg Peninsula, Northern Territory, Australia. Probably forms a species group with G. flavolateralis and G. fusca, and in past sometimes treated as conspecific with latter; has been thought to be related to G. sulphurea; and was considered possibly conspecific with G. inornata. In past, sometimes considered to include extinct G. insularis (Lord Howe I) as a race. Three subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * pallida Finsch, 1898 - coastal S New Guinea from Triton Bay and R Mimika E to Port Moresby region. * levigaster Gould, 1843 - N Western Australia (NW edge of Great Sandy Desert E to Roebuck Bay) E patchily along coast (including Groote Eylandt and Mornington I) to N Queensland (S to Princess Charlotte Bay, in NE Cape York Peninsula). * cantator (Weatherill, 1908) - coastal E Australia from NE Queensland (Cleveland Bay) S to Sydney region of New South Wales.
In Australia primarily mangroves; also adjacent forest, thicket and woodland, such as paperbarks (Melaleuca) in Kimberley, and woodlands along watercourses. May move out from mangroves to forage in nearby woodlands during breeding season, and was historically recorded in coastal parks and gardens in New South Wales. When sympatric with G. magnirostris tends to keepp to shrubbier landward side of mangroves; in Kimberley largely displaced from mangroves by G. mahnirostris and G. tenebrosa, and occupying papaerbarks and pindan wattle (Acacia rumida) scrub up to 20 km inland. In New Guinea occupies Avicennia mangroves, and may extend at times to floodplain-forest by creeks.
Recorded prey includes beetles (of families Chrysomelidae, Curculionidae), grasshoppers (orthoptera), wasps ( Hymenoptera), ants (Formicidae), moths (Lepidoptera) and scale insects (Coccoidea). Forages singly, in pairs and in small groups, often with mixed flocks of white-eyes (Zosterops), honeyeaters (Meliphagidae), G. magnirostris and G. fusca, and fantails (Rhipidura). Mainly in canopy, although feedd from ground upwards, often searching mud by mangrove roots. Hover-gleans and sallies; recorded as feeding on scale insects on citrus in gardens near Brisbane (SE Queensland). Behaviour and actions much as congeners, but perhaps less aerial, spending more time among foliage.
Recorded in all months, but principally spring-summer in E Australia and autumn-spring dry season in N; multi-brooded, and will renest after failure. Female believed to build, and seems to be sensitie to disturbance when building; nest a compact oval, domed, with spout-like hooded entrance at side near top, made from grass, roots, bark, dry seaweed and moss, bound with spider webs, lined with feathers and oft plant material, decorated on outside with spider cocoons and egg sacs (occasionally other material, e.g. lichen); suspended from branch usually of mangrove, occasionally of other tree (e.g. paperbark); recorded as nesting near large wasp colonies in Kimberley (Western Australia). Clutch 2 – 3 eggs, usually 3, pale linkish to blue (rarely, white), with light red-brown flecks and spots either over whole shell or forming cap or zone at large end; incubation period 14 – 17 days; chicks seen fed by both adults, nestling period 14 – 17 days. Nests in Australia parasitized by Little (Chrysococcyx minutullus), Shining (Chrysococcyx lucidus) and Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoos (Chrysococcyx basalis).