Male nominate race is entirely black with puurplish gloss; iris dark brown; bill and legs black. Female is bright rufous-brown, darker on upperparts, with ear-coverts and cheeks even darker, streaked pale, lores black, pale ochraceous stripe over eye, duller brown upperwing-coverts and remiges. Juvenile undescribed; immature like female, and subadult male mottled black and rufous. Races differ mainly in overall shade and richness of colour of female plumage, especially undeparts: meeki is palest; goodsoni and waigeuensis are darkest, female of latter also has barring on flanks; tommasonis is brightest; botantae similar to waigeuensis but female apparently lacks barring.
Not Threatened
Male nominate race is entirely black with puurplish gloss; iris dark brown; bill and legs black. Female is bright rufous-brown, darker on upperparts, with ear-coverts and cheeks even darker, streaked pale, lores black, pale ochraceous stripe over eye, duller brown upperwing-coverts and remiges. Juvenile undescribed; immature like female, and subadult male mottled black and rufous. Races differ mainly in overall shade and richness of colour of female plumage, especially undeparts: meeki is palest; goodsoni and waigeuensis are darkest, female of latter also has barring on flanks; tommasonis is brightest; botantae similar to waigeuensis but female apparently lacks barring.
23 cm; 567 – 63 g
Taxonomy: Lanius melas Lesson, 1828, Dorey, north-west New Guinea. Race batantae often merged with nominate. Species name often incorrectly given as melaena, but original name is a transliterated Greek word and thus remains invariable. Six subspecies currently recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * waigeuensis (Stresemann & Paludan, 1932) - Waigeo I, off NW New Guinea. * batantae (Gyldenstolpe & Mayr, 1955) - Batanta I (W Papuan Is). * melas (Lesson, 1828) - Salawati I (W Papuan Is) and N & W New Guinea (E to Astrolabe Bay and, in S, to R Eilanden).
Rainforest and monsoon forest; locally also gallery and mangrove forests; normally in forest interior, but visits edges and adjacent secondary growth, disturbed areas and teak (Tectona) plantations. Mainly lowlands to 750 m, locally to 1250 m.
Feeds mainly on adult and larval insects, including Lepidoptera larvae; also takse fruit. Usually in pairs or in parties of up to ten individuals, foraging quietly in subcanopy and in smaller branches of lower trees; also commonly joins mixed-species foraging flocks in middle storey. Active, moving quickly from perch to perch, gleaning from branches and leaves; occasionally sallies.