Occurs in two plumage morphs differing chiefly in tail colouring. Mated pairs may comprise bot morphs. Dark morph has head side, crown and mantla brown, remaining upperparts rich rufous, upperwing dark brown, remiges edged rufous, wing-coverts rich rufous, tail blackish brown or dark- brown, rectrices with rufous bases and broad pale rufous tips, throat brownish or buffy grey, belly buffy rufous, undertail-coverts rufous, iris dark brown, bill blackish brown ot horn coloured, lower mandible pinkish, legs pale brown. Pale morph is buff grey, belly and undertail-coverts buff, tail uniformly pale grey or dusky brownish-grey, rectrices with white shafts, black absent. Sexes similar, female usually slightly paler than male. Juvenile undescribed. Devisi is slightly paler and less richly coloured than nominate.
Not Threatened
Occurs in two plumage morphs differing chiefly in tail colouring. Mated pairs may comprise bot morphs. Dark morph has head side, crown and mantla brown, remaining upperparts rich rufous, upperwing dark brown, remiges edged rufous, wing-coverts rich rufous, tail blackish brown or dark- brown, rectrices with rufous bases and broad pale rufous tips, throat brownish or buffy grey, belly buffy rufous, undertail-coverts rufous, iris dark brown, bill blackish brown ot horn coloured, lower mandible pinkish, legs pale brown. Pale morph is buff grey, belly and undertail-coverts buff, tail uniformly pale grey or dusky brownish-grey, rectrices with white shafts, black absent. Sexes similar, female usually slightly paler than male. Juvenile undescribed. Devisi is slightly paler and less richly coloured than nominate.
15-16.5 cm, 9-10 g
Taxonomy: Rhipidura brachyrhyncha Schlegel, 1871, Arfak Mountains, New Guinea. Two subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * brachyrhyncha Schlegel, 1871 - Arfak Mts, in NW New Guinea. * devisi North, 1898 - mountains of C & E New Guinea.
Montane forest, particularly stunted moss forest, generally avoiding secondary growth. Occupies denser thickets and understorey in forest interior. At 2000 – 3800, locally as low as 1160 m and as high as 3900m. Generally replaced at lower elevations by R.atra, the two may coexist within an altitudinal range covering 150-300 m or more.
Resident.
Insect. Feeds in middle and lower storey and to lesser extent in undergrowth, 0.5-2.5 m, above ground.Sometimes to 6 m, moving through outer half of tree and bushes. Crashes through foliage to flush insect.
Adults with nesting material in Dec., juvenile in early Jun, and birds with unenelarged gands in Jul and Sept. Not other info.
Fairly common to common.