Spangled Honeyeater
Other common names: Black/Huon Honeyeater, Huon Melipotes
Taxonomy: Melipotes ater Rothschild and E. J. O. Hartert, 1911, Rawlinson Mountains, Huon Peninsula, north-east New Guinea.
Large honeyeater and largest of genus with short, rather stubby, slightly decurved bill and moderately long tail. Plumage is almost wholly satin-black, with bold bright yellow circumorbital patch with non-pendent lobes on lower lores at base of bill and below lower rear edge of eye, dusky grey chin and uppermost throat, bold white spotting on most of underbody sparse on lower throat and upper breast and heaviest in center of lower breast and belly, spots varying from broad and almost chevron-shaped to small and triangular or rounded, iris dark brown to red-brown, bill black or greyblack, legs blue-grey. Sexes alike in plumage, male probably larger than female. Juvenile undescribed.
Typically quiet, but noisier than congeners. Calls include repeated deep “chut chut”
28.5-31 cm
Genus closely related to Macgregoria. Forms a superspecies with M. gymnops, M. fumigatus and M. carolae. Monotypic.
Huon Peninsula
Occupies montane forest and also tall secondary growth, recorded from c,1200 m up to 3300 m. Poorly known.
Predominantly frugivorous. Mainly in canopy or subcanopy, foraging for fruit. Conspicious. Usually singly or in twos, more sociable or less aggressive than congeners.
No information