Not Threatened
Glossy blue black monarch, Male nominate race has head to centre of breast, side of neck and UpP, including flight-feather and tail, glossy bluish-black, rest of UnP and axillaries chesnut, iris dark, bill bluish-grey, tip black, legs bluish-grey or lead-grey. Female is less glossy above, especially on wings and tail.Megarhynchus is simile, but has larger bill, longer wings and tail (tail up to 1 cm longer) Obscurios i salso simile, but darker and with more metelic gloss, blackish below more extensive. Ugiensis is entirely glossy bluish-black.
17 cm, 22-28.5 g, 28-33.5 g ugiensis
Taxonomy: Monarcha castaneiventris J. Verreaux, 1858, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Forms a superspecies with M. melanopsis, M. erythrostictus, M. frater and M. richardsii. Has been considered conspecific with M. erythrostictus. Four subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * castaneiventris J. Verreaux, 1858 - Solomon Is (Choiseul, Santa Isabel, Guadalcanal, Malaita). * obscurior Mayr, 1935 - Russell Is (EC Solomons). * megarhynchus Rothschild & E. J. O. Hartert, 1908 - San Cristobal (SE Solomons). * ugiensis (E. P. Ramsay, 1882) - Ugi, Three Sisters Is and other small islands off San Cristobal (Solomons).
Primary forest and tall secondary forest, from sea level to mountains. Race ugiensis inhabits coastal forest, including beach forest and scrub.
Resident.
Food items not well known, mainly small invertebrates. Solitary or in pairs, but mostly in small parties and mixed-species foraging flocks. Forages actively and methodically among outer foliage af middle levels to upper canopy of forest trees, also pursues insect in flight, and hovers while taking insect from foliage.
No information