Male nominate race rufous head and underparts, black loral patch, black nape patch, greenish-blue underparts, dark blue tail, black wing feathers with bluish edges and tips, bill bright yellow, dusky ridge along culmen, serrated edges at tip of upper mandible, iris dark brown, legs and feet dull yellow. Larger than Syma torotoro. Female black crown, black neck patches joined across hindneck, paler underparts. Juvenile grey-black bill, larger black area around eye, dusky-tipped feather on cheeks and breast.
Not Threatened.
Male nominate race rufous head and underparts, black loral patch, black nape patch, greenish-blue underparts, dark blue tail, black wing feathers with bluish edges and tips, bill bright yellow, dusky ridge along culmen, serrated edges at tip of upper mandible, iris dark brown, legs and feet dull yellow. Larger than Syma torotoro. Female black crown, black neck patches joined across hindneck, paler underparts. Juvenile grey-black bill, larger black area around eye, dusky-tipped feather on cheeks and breast.
24 cm, male 52-60 g, female 49-63 g
Taxonomy:
- Syma megarhyncha Salvadori, 1896, Moroka, New Guinea. Genus sometimes merged into Halcyon, or occasionally even into Todiramphus. Forms a superspecies with S. torotoro, and there are some possible hybrids between the two species. Three subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * wellsi Mathews, 1918 - W New Guinea, in Snow Mts and Weyland Mts. * sellamontis Reichenow, 1919 - NE New Guinea, in mountains of Huon Peninsula. * megarhyncha Salvadori, 1896 - C & SE New Guinea, from Sudirman Range to Owen Stanley Range.
Primary forest and secondary growth, mainly between 1200 and 2200 m. Occasionally down to 760 m.
Sedentary.
Insect, larvae, and small lizard.
Lays in Dec in PNG. Nest is a hole in earth bank or a hole in tree. Clutch 2 eggs.