Nominate race is brownish-olive above, upperwing an tail browner, greyer on cheek , with narrow pale supraloral stripe, thin pale eyering almost broken at sides; chin, throat and breast greyish-white, quite well demarcated from pale yellow belly, flanks, vent and undertail-coverts; iris red-brown; bill black; legs pale horn to fleshy purple. Sexes alike. Juvenile has ear-coverts greyer, less brownish, than adult. Races vary in general coloration; neglecta has entire underside washed very pale yellow, colour strongest on flanks; notata appears brown, not olive, above and whitish below, with horn-coloured bill; dohertyi greener above than nominate, with browner cheeks, faint pale margins on some wing-coverts, paler yellow below; leucothorax intermediate between previous and nominate.
Not Threatened
Nominate race is brownish-olive above, upperwing an tail browner, greyer on cheek , with narrow pale supraloral stripe, thin pale eyering almost broken at sides; chin, throat and breast greyish-white, quite well demarcated from pale yellow belly, flanks, vent and undertail-coverts; iris red-brown; bill black; legs pale horn to fleshy purple. Sexes alike. Juvenile has ear-coverts greyer, less brownish, than adult. Races vary in general coloration; neglecta has entire underside washed very pale yellow, colour strongest on flanks; notata appears brown, not olive, above and whitish below, with horn-coloured bill; dohertyi greener above than nominate, with browner cheeks, faint pale margins on some wing-coverts, paler yellow below; leucothorax intermediate between previous and nominate.
10 cm
Taxonomy: Gerygone chrysogaster G. R. Gray, 1858, Aru Islands. Proposed species G. ruficauda, supposedly from NE Australia (“Thirteen Mile River”, in E Queensland), was based on incorrectly labelled specimens of present species discoloured (faded) by preservative spirit. Five subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * neglecta Wallace, 1865 - N West Papuan Is (Waigeo I), in NW New Guinea. * notata Salvadori, 1878 - C & S West Papuan Is (islands of Batanta and Misool) and NW New Guinea (Vogelkop). * dohertyi Rothschild & E. J. O. Hartert, 1903 - SW New Guinea (Onin Peninsula E to Triton Bay). * leucothorax Mayr, 1940 - lowlands of Geelvink Bay region (W New Guinea). * chrysogaster G. R. Gray, 1858 - Yapen I (in Geelvink Bay), N, S & SE New Guinea, and Aru Is.
Rainforest, secondary growth, monsoon forest and riparian formations, from sea-level to, rarely, c. 760 m; much commoner in lowlands.
Insectivorous, but no details of prey. Occurs singly, in pairs or in small groups up to five individuals. Keeps mainly in middle storey but can range both low and high. Very active, gleaning particularly from leaves (76% of time at R Brown study site, in SE New Guinea), also from twigs and branches (23%), sometimes hovering and occasionally sallying (1%). Sympatric in more on edges and in drier or secondary forest. Often the nucleus of mixed feeding flocks, occuring most frequently with Frilled (Arses telescopthalmus) and Spot-winged Monarchs (Monarcha guttula), Chestnut-bellied (Rhipidura hyperythra) and Northern fantails (Rhipidura rufiventris) and Grey Whistler (Pachycephala simplex) at R Brown site; forages also with Yellow-breasted Boatbill (Machaerirhynchus flaviventer), various other Monarcha species, Little Shrike-thrush
Recorded in both dry and wit seasons, Aug-Sept, Feb and May. Nests as pair; possibly an occasional co-operative breeder, as four individuals noted as feeding fledgling at R Brown site. Nest a neat hanging oval, with short downward-directed “spout” leading to side entrance near top, composed of fibrous matter bound with spider webs, lined with fine soft fibres, and with long “tail” dangling below. Clutch size poorly known, but 3 eggs recorded; no information on incubation and fledging periods.