Distinctive malurid with comparatively short tail. Male nominate race (all seasons) is entirely glossy black, except for white scapulars; iris, bill and legs black. Female has black head and back, narrow white eyebrow and broken eyering, white scapulars, white underside with variable amount of black flecking; iris and bill as male, legs brown. Juvenile is blackish- grey above, including scapulars, whitish below; immature resembles female but duller, and lacks white on scapulars. Races differ in female and juvenile plumages, to which following details refer; naimii is like nominate, but usually with more black on body side, juvenile as in nominate; aida is black like male, but less glossy, wings browner, faint white eyebrow, juvenile all sooty brown; kutubu is black like previous, juvenile undescribed; moretoni is like previous two, juvenile sooty black or grey with white chin; lorentzi female is distinctive has crown grey- brown, narrow white brow and broken eyering, back mid brown, no white on scapulars, creamy- white undersurface, cinnamon on flanks, eyes and bill black, legs brown, juvenile as female but paler, with white markings less distinct.
Not Threatened
Distinctive malurid with comparatively short tail. Male nominate race (all seasons) is entirely glossy black, except for white scapulars; iris, bill and legs black. Female has black head and back, narrow white eyebrow and broken eye ring, white scapulars, white underside with variable amount of black flecking; iris and bill as male, legs brown. Juvenile is blackish- grey above, including scapulars, whitish below; immature resembles female but duller, and lacks white on scapulars. Races differ in female and juvenile plumages, to which following details refer; naimii is like nominate, but usually with more black on body side, juvenile as in nominate; aida is black like male, but less glossy, wings browner, faint white eyebrow, juvenile all sooty brown; kutubu is black like previous, juvenile undescribed; moretoni is like previous two, juvenile sooty black or grey with white chin; lorentzi female is distinctive has crown grey- brown, narrow white brow and broken eye ring, back mid brown, no white on scapulars, creamy- white under surface, cinnamon on flanks, eyes and bill black, legs brown, juvenile as female but paler, with white markings less distinct.
10- 13,5 cm; 8- 12 g
Taxonomy: Malurus alboscapulatus A. B. Meyer, 1874, Arfak Mountains, c. 3500 feet [c. 1070 m], Vogelkop, New Guinea. Protein evidence indicates that closest allies are M. melanocephalus and M. leucopterus; the three constitute the “bicoloured group”. Other proposed races are randi (Wissel Lakes region), regarded as better merged with aida; balim (upper R Balim and upper R Bele areas) and dogwa (Merauke E to R Fly), both synonymized with lorentzi; and tappenbecki (R Sepik E to Astrolabe Bay) and mafulu (mountain grasslands in SE New Guinea), both considered better included within naimii. Six subspecies currently recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * alboscapulatus A. B. Meyer, 1874 - Vogelkop (Arfak and Tamrau Mts and intervening valley), in NW New Guinea. * aida E. J. O. Hartert, 1930 - NW New Guinea (Weyland Mts and Wissel Lakes E to Humboldt Bay). * lorentzi van Oort, 1909 - W & S New Guinea (Snow Mts to Trans-Fly and Utaka-Mimika R). * naimii Salvadori & D’Albertis, 1875 - N & S lowlands and C highlands of E New Guinea (C Sepik E to Astrolabe Bay; river systems of C highlands; Kerema E to Vanapa R and Wharton Range). * kutubu Schodde & Hitchcock, 1968 - S highlands of C New Guinea (Olsobip E to Mt Giluwe and L Kitubu). * moretoni De Vis, 1892 - N & S coasts of SE New Guinea and intervening mountain valleys (NW to Huon Peninsula, and SW to Brown R and Vanapa R).
Inhabits grasslands, typically along river valleys; also cane grass, overgrown village gardens, regrowth, roadside verges, and forest clearings, recorded from sea level up to 2700 m.
Arthropods; recorded items include spiders (Araneae), beetles (Coleoptera), grasshoppers (Orthoptera), moths (Lepidiptera) and cicadas (Cicadidae). Forages at low levels, seldom above 2 metres. Gleans vegetation. Frequently in groups of several individuals.
Data sparse, but from specimen labels appears to lay in any month of year, in both wet and dry seasons. Socially monogamous but probably sexually promiscuous (as congeners); remains paired throughout year. Co- operative breeder, frequently with helpers, usually progeny from previous years; one closely monitored group already had two immatures, presumably from earlier breeding, when clutch started in Oct, and another clutch (laid Feb) was attended by breeding male and female, two young adults and the immature from Oct nest. Oval- shaped nest of coarse grass, sticks and leaves, lined with fine grass, placed 20- 150 cm above ground in shrub or grass. No information on clutch size; incubation by female, period 11- 12 days, chicks fed by all group- members, leave nest at 12- 13 days; fledglings remain concealed for 7- 10 days, fed by group for 1 month, remain with family after independence: nest parasitized by Brush Cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus).