Not Threatened.
Generally common.
Only slightly crested. Male has two bold white facial stripes contrasting with glossy black cap and black face, with lower ear coverts variably dark chesnut, rest of body blue-grey, paler below, with usually white central belly, to undertaail coverts. Females differ only in having dark blackish-green ear-coverts. Juvenile head and body feathers complexly zoned black, rufous, buff and white, generally black-based dorsally and anteriorly, with cream rufous forehead, lateral coronal band and mallar stripes, and with rear underparts cream based. Races differ mainly in size and in body colour.
28-31 cm, 56-79 g
Taxonomy:
- Cypselus mystaceus Lesson, 1827, Dorey, Vogelkop, Irian Jaya. Six subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * confirmata Stresemann, 1914 - Moluccas (excluding Kai and Sula groups) to Aru Is. * mystacea (Lesson, 1827) - New Guinea mainland; islands of Geelvink Bay and W Papuan Is. * aeroplanes Stresemann, 1921 - Bismarck Archipelago (excluding Admiralty Is and Feni Is). * macrura Salomonsen, 1983 - Admiralty Is. * woodfordiana (Hartert, 1896) - Feni Is and most of Solomon Is (including Bougainville). * carbonaria Salomonsen, 1983 - Bauro I (Solomons).
High emergent crowns in mangroves and beach-stand, scattered trees and groves, and edge of inland forest. From sea-level to 1580 m.
Sedentary
Takes fyling arthropods, including bees, ants, hemipteran bug and beetles, in length range 6-18 mm.
Active nest recordedn in all months except Mar, season locally variable, can be long. Pairs belived to be teritorial, at least around the nest-site. Nest a tiny saucer of feathers and plant material incomporated in hardened saliva, fixed on high horizontal branch.
Generally common.