Nominate race has crown and nape dark chesnut, lores and chin black, narrow black stripe down centre of throat, broadening on upper breast into triangular. Black patch finely spotted with white, side of throat and neck side below eze white, upperparts dull olive green, remiges dark brownish olive, primary coverts dull olive green, tipped white, tail olive brown, outer two feather pairs black with broad white tip, underparts dull ashy blue, iris dark brown, bill black, legs brown to light brown. Sexes alike. Juvenile is brown, washed with rufous-olive, paler on underparts, has upperwing-coverts tipped pae rufous.
Not Threatened
Nominate race has crown and nape dark chesnut, lores and chin black, narrow black stripe down centre of throat, broadening on upper breast into triangular. Black patch finely spotted with white, side of throat and neck side below eze white, upperparts dull olive green, remiges dark brownish olive, primary coverts dull olive green, tipped white, tail olive brown, outer two feather pairs black with broad white tip, underparts dull ashy blue, iris dark brown, bill black, legs brown to light brown. Sexes alike. Juvenile is brown, washed with rufous-olive, paler on underparts, has upperwing-coverts tipped pae rufous.
20 cm, 49-51 g
Taxonomy: Eupetes leucostictus P. L. Sclater, 1874, Hatam, Arfak Mountains, Irian Jaya, New Guinea. Seven subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * leucosticta (P. L. Sclater, 1874) - mountains of the Vogelkop, in NW New Guinea. * mayri (E. J. O. Hartert, 1930) - Wandammen Mts, S of Geelvink Bay (NW New Guinea). * centralis (Mayr, 1936) - Weyland Mts, Nassau Range and Oranje Range, E possibly to Star Mts (WC New Guinea). * sibilans (Mayr, 1931) - Cyclops Mts, on N coast of New Guinea. * menawa (Diamond, 1969) - Bewani Mts (Mt Menawa), in C North Coastal Range of New Guinea. * amabilis (Mayr, 1931) - Saruwaged Mts, in Huon Peninsula (NE New Guinea). * loriae (Salvadori, 1896) - Mt Hagen and Schraderberg E through mountains of SE New Guinea.
Mountain forest at 1200-2700 m. overaps with P.castanolata at 1200-1450 m.
Insect and other small invertebrates, also small frogs, and occasionally small fruit. Terrestrial, forages by tuning over leaves while walking along on ground.
Nests with eggs in late Sept, and mid Oct and nestlings in mid Aug and early Oct. Nest a cup-shaped structure of hair-like rootlets, moss and old leaves, lined with leaf skeletons. Clutch 2 eggs.