Male has upperparts sooty black, back greyer, side of head greyish black, white streak from side of forehead to above orbit, ear-coverts withthin white spot or stripe, upperwing brownish-black, median and greater wing-coverts tipped white, tail blackish brow to black, outer three rectrices with white tips, amount of white increasing outwards, throat white, breast with braod dark sooty-grey band, remainder of underparts dark-grey, centre of belly with buffy to whitish patch, iris dark brown, bill black, pale base of lower mandible, legs black, pale base of lower mandible, leg black. Female similar to male, but somewhat duller and greyer. Juvenil – upperparts motted with rufous, tertials and underparts tipped buffy. Lorenzi is smaller and paller.
Subspecies and Distribution: * albolimbata Salvadori, 1874 - mountains of NW, N & E New Guinea. * lorentzi van Oort, 1909 - Snow Mts and Central Highlands, in C New Guinea.
Male has upperparts sooty black, back greyer, side of head greyish black, white streak from side of forehead to above orbit, ear-coverts withthin white spot or stripe, upperwing brownish-black, median and greater wing-coverts tipped white, tail blackish brow to black, outer three rectrices with white tips, amount of white increasing outwards, throat white, breast with braod dark sooty-grey band, remainder of underparts dark-grey, centre of belly with buffy to whitish patch, iris dark brown, bill black, pale base of lower mandible, legs black, pale base of lower mandible, leg black. Female similar to male, but somewhat duller and greyer. Juvenil – upperparts motted with rufous, tertials and underparts tipped buffy. Lorenzi is smaller and paller.
14-15 cm, 9-11 g
Taxonomy: Rhipidura albo-limbata Salvadori, 1874, Hatam, New Guinea. Forms a superspecies with R. hyperythra, R. albiscapa, R. fuliginosa and R. phasiana. Two subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * albolimbata Salvadori, 1874 - mountains of NW, N & E New Guinea. * lorentzi van Oort, 1909 - Snow Mts and Central Highlands, in C New Guinea.
Forest, mainly in more open lower to middle levels, ocassionaly in canopy, and forest edge, also wooded grassland, human altered areas, alpine grasslands with tree-ferns. Mainly at 1370-3600m, including timber line, ocassionaly as low as 1130. Replaces R. hyperythra.
Resident.
Insect. Mainly in more open middle strata and upper storey. Almos entirely flycatching. Searces while perched, holding wingsdrooped, tail cocked, restless, shifting position constantly. Usually singly, less often in pairs. Also approaches human, apparently for insect disturbed by him.
Nest-building early Apr, nestling in late Sept, fledglings in in late Mar and Aug. Nest a small cup of fine fibres with hanging tail, covered externally with spider web, placed 3.5-6 m above ground on small branch, creeper or vine.