Short white supercilium and white streak blind orbit, upperparts light grey, slightly darker on lores and ear-coverts, UW slightly darker and browner, median and greater WC with white tips, inner S and T narrowly edged white, tail medium to dark brown-grey, all R except central pair with white shafts, four outer pairs with white tips and edges, chin and throat white, upper breast with narrow ill defined mid-grey band, remaining underparts pale buff, breast side washed with light grey, iris dark brown, bill black, sometimes pale of lower mandible, legs dark. Sexes alike. Juvenile has upperparts washed with pale buff, primary coverts with pale tips.
Not Threatened
Short white supercilium and white streak blind orbit, upperparts light grey, slightly darker on lores and ear-coverts, UW slightly darker and browner, median and greater WC with white tips, inner S and T narrowly edged white, tail medium to dark brown-grey, all R except central pair with white shafts, four outer pairs with white tips and edges, chin and throat white, upper breast with narrow ill defined mid-grey band, remaining underparts pale buff, breast side washed with light grey, iris dark brown, bill black, sometimes pale of lower mandible, legs dark. Sexes alike. Juvenile has upperparts washed with pale buff, primary coverts with pale tips.
13.8-15.5 cm, 5-7.8 g
Taxonomy: Rhipidura phasiana De Vis, 1885, Kimberley, Norman River, Australia. Forms a superspecies with R. hyperythra, R. albolimbata, R. albiscapa and R. fuliginosa. Formerly considered a race of last, but now almost universally treated as a separate species on basis of morphology, voice, clutch size and habitat. Monotypic. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Distribution: Aru Is, coastal SE New Guinea (Lea Lea to Lese Oalai), and coastal NW & N Australia from Shark Bay (Western Australia) E patchily to R Edward (N Queensland).
Distribution:
- Aru Is, coastal SE New Guinea (Lea Lea to Lese Oalai), and coastal NW & N Australia from Shark Bay (Western Australia) E patchily to R Edward (N Queensland).
Mostly confined to coastal mangroves including open or closed forest, woodland, shrubland or thicket of several species.
Presumably resident in PNG.
Insect, beetles, flies, bugs and wasps found in more than half stomachs. Spiders also important. Forages at all levels from ground to canopy and above, and around mangrove vegetation. Mainly FC, less often by flushing prey from substrate with constant movement. Join mixed foraging flocks of small passerines, accompanying species such as a Mangrove Gerygone. Follows larger animals.
Data on breeding available only from Australia. Season Sept-Feb, possibly March. Clutch 1-3 eggs, usually 2, creamy to almost white, with light brown spots and blotches forming irregular wreath around larger end.
Not globally threatened.