Male nominate race has crown and forehead mottled, with blue- tipped charcoal feathers; sky- blue brown from bill to back of head, black band from lores to nape collar, long lanceolate sky- blue ear- tufts; mantle and scapulars smoky blue, grading to royal blue on lower back; upperwing and tail grey- brown; below, pale sky- blue; iris dark brown; bill long,broad and flattened, black; legs brown. Female is like male except for solid charcoal- coloured crown and forehead, white belly. Immature is cinnamon- brown above, with face and malar stripe dusky, ear- tufts tawny breast and white belly; becomes blue first on brown, then on lower back and breast. Race campbelli is smaller than nominate, has crown and forehead black, and back brown.
Not Threatened
Male nominate race has crown and forehead mottled, with blue- tipped charcoal feathers; sky- blue brown from bill to back of head, black band from lores to nape collar, long lanceolate sky- blue ear- tufts; mantle and scapulars smoky blue, grading to royal blue on lower back; upperwing and tail grey- brown; below, pale sky- blue; iris dark brown; bill long, broad and flattened, black; legs brown. Female is like male except for solid charcoal- coloured crown and forehead, white belly. Immature is cinnamon- brown above, with face and malar stripe dusky, ear- tufts tawny breast and white belly; becomes blue first on brown, then on lower back and breast. Race campbelli is smaller than nominate, has crown and forehead black, and back brown.
c. 14- 14,5 cm; 14- 17 g
Taxonomy: Todopsis grayi Wallace, 1862, Sorong, north-west New Guinea. Was in the past placed in a monotypic genus Chenorhamphus on account of very broad bill, and has sometimes been placed with M. cyanocephalus and Sipodotus wallacii in a separate genus, Todopsis. Inclusion in present genus supported by plumage details and protein evidence. Isolated race campbelli sometimes treated as a separate species, but differs minimally from nominate. Two subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * grayi (Wallace, 1862) - NW New Guinea from Vogelkop E to Torricelli Mts, N of main cordillera. *campbelli Schodde & Weatherly, 1982 - Mt Bosavi (S of cordillera), in E New Guinea.
Understory of tall primary forest to 1000 m; particularly favours tangled vines and shrubs under broken canopy.
No data on food; presumed insectivorous. Forages in groups, usually of 2- 5 individuals; disturbs and snatches prey as group travels quickly through undergrowth. Does not join mixed- species flocks.