Male nominate race has forehead, lores and chin bright pink to red; rest of head blackish, body and upperwing generally greyish- black with greyish feather edges (giving obscurely scaled pattern), uppertail- coverts slightly vinaceous; tail blackish, all feathers except central two pairs tipped pinkish- white, this colour broadening to terminal half on outermost feathers; underwing with white inner webs near middle of inner primaries and secondaries (apparent in flight as broad white central bar or flash on flight- feathers), and small white patch on greater under primary coverts; iris dark brown; bill black; legs dark olive- brown. Female differs from male only in bare- part colours, having iris and legs yellow, not dark brown. Juvenile is duller and greyer than adult, with forehead, chin and upper throat cinnamon or rusty brown, cinnamon- brown tips of body feathers, wing- coverts and tertials, male iris greyish- brown, female iris pale yellow. Race differ mainly in extent of pink on head; kuboriensis has pink more extensive than nominate, reaching to upper throat; frontalis has pink extending to lower throat.
Not Threatened
Male nominate race has forehead, lores and chin bright pink to red; rest of head blackish, body and upperwing generally greyish- black with greyish feather edges (giving obscurely scaled pattern), uppertail- coverts slightly vinaceous; tail blackish, all feathers except central two pairs tipped pinkish- white, this colour broadening to terminal half on outermost feathers; underwing with white inner webs near middle of inner primaries and secondaries (apparent in flight as broad white central bar or flash on flight- feathers), and small white patch on greater under primary coverts; iris dark brown; bill black; legs dark olive- brown. Female differs from male only in bare- part colours, having iris and legs yellow, not dark brown. Juvenile is duller and greyer than adult, with forehead, chin and upper throat cinnamon or rusty brown, cinnamon- brown tips of body feathers, wing- coverts and tertials, male iris greyish- brown, female iris pale yellow. Race differ mainly in extent of pink on head; kuboriensis has pink more extensive than nominate, reaching to upper throat; frontalis has pink extending to lower throat.
12 cm; 12- 17,8 g
Taxonomy: Daphoenositta miranda De Vis, 1897, Mount Scratchley, south-east New Guinea. Three subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * frontalis van Oort, 1910 - Snow Mts, in WC New Guinea. * kuboriensis Mayr & Gilliard, 1952 - Central Highlands (Kubor Range and Mt Giluwe), in EC New Guinea. * miranda De Vis, 1897 - mountains of SE New Guinea (Mt Tafa, Mt Scratchley and Mt Albert Edward).
Upper mantane (moss) forest, including partly cleared areas; mainly at 2450 m, descending to 2000 m in SE.
Largely insectivorous; food includes larvae (to at least 3 cm in length), and spiders (Araneae). Forages mainly on high outer branches (live and dead) in canopy, sometimes on lower branches and trunks; in forest gaps may descend to fallen logs. Hops rapidly along upperside of branches, often in zigzag fashion (leaning and peering down one side, then the other); occasionally clings to underside of horizontal branches, and moves up and around trunks. One observed while digging and pounding repeatedly in bark; another watched when shaking and eating a 3- cm grub.
Males of nominate race (from Mt Tafa) had enlarged testes in both May and Aug, females had slightly enlarged ovaries in Aug, and one juvenile female found in late Aug; these records indicate breeding during dry season, rather than (as reputedly typical for birds in region) during wet season starting in Oct. Invariably encountered in groups of 3- 10 individuals, in one case comprising adults with enlarged gonads, adults with no gonad enlargement, and juvenile (with incomplete skulll ossification), strongly suggesting co- operative breeding. No other information.