Male nominate race has crown, side of head, hind- neck and broad band on upper breast black, enclosing white chin and throat; upperparts brownish- grey to grey; upperwing and tail dark brown; underparts below breastband white, with or without grey sides; iris red- brown; bill black; legs slate- coloured. Female has upperparts and head side dark grey, wings and tail dark brown, throat white or whitish with very fine black shaft streaks, breastband grey with fine blackish streaks, rest of underparts white, tinged buffy or creamy. Juvenile is grey above, with rufous patches on head, back and uppertail- coverts, has greater wing- coverts rufous and secondaries largely rufous, throat pale grey, becoming pale buff on underparts, grey streaks on throat and breast, bill dark brown, paler on lower mandible, legs dark grey; immature resembles adult female but slightly browner, more distinctly streaked on throat and breast, and with distinct white eyering. Race meeki has upperparts much darker than nominate, more blackish, tail black, breast side grey.
Male nominate race has crown, side of head, hind- neck and broad band on upper breast black, enclosing white chin and throat; upperparts brownish- grey to grey; upperwing and tail dark brown; underparts below breastband white, with or without grey sides; iris red- brown; bill black; legs slate- coloured. Female has upperparts and head side dark grey, wings and tail dark brown, throat white or whitish with very fine black shaft streaks, breastband grey with fine blackish streaks, rest of underparts white, tinged buffy or creamy. Juvenile is grey above, with rufous patches on head, back and uppertail- coverts, has greater wing- coverts rufous and secondaries largely rufous, throat pale grey, becoming pale buff on underparts, grey streaks on throat and breast, bill dark brown, paler on lower mandible, legs dark grey; immature resembles adult female but slightly browner, more distinctly streaked on throat and breast, and with distinct white eyering. Race meeki has upperparts much darker than nominate, more blackish, tail black, breast side grey.
14- 15 cm; 21- 24 g
Taxonomy: Pachycephala leucogastra Salvadori and D’Albertis, 1875, Mount Epa, south-east New Guinea. Forms a superspecies with P. griseonota, P. rufiventris, P. monacha and P. arctitorquis. Sometimes regarded as conspecific with one more of these; hybridizes with P. monacha on Sogeri Plateau and in R Angabunga area (from Bereina to Mafulu). In NE New Guinea, whistlers with white belly and white throat, apparently of this species, reported from Wewak and Lumi, foothills of C North Coastal Range and East Sepik Province, but racial affiliation of these not known; further study required. Two subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * leucogastra Salvadori & D’Albertis, 1875 - coastal SE New Guinea from Hall Sound SE to Port Moresby. * meeki E. J. O. Hartert, 1898 - Louisiade Archipelago (Rossel I), off SE New Guinea.
Wetter eucalypt (Eucalyptus) savanna in hills, also mangroves, ecologically disturbed habitats, rubber plantations, and taller trees near water in lowland savanna; occurs from sea- level up to c. 1200 m.
Insects. Forages in upper tree levels.
: Individual with nesting material in early Feb, nest under construction in early Jun, also adult attending nest and adults feeding young, both in early Jun, indicative of breeding during wet season and possibly also in early dry season, at least. Nest a cup of vegetable material, placed in tree fork usually 10- 20 m up in disturbed habitats, but as low as 2 m above water on edge of mangroves. No information on clutch size and eggs; one nest contained two young.