Male has large whitish-yellow crescent in front of eye, rest of head and face to centre of breast, side of neck and upperparts glossy bluish black, flight feather and tail lack gloss, underparts below breast centre chesnut, iris dark, bill bluish-black, flight-feathers and tail lack gloss, underparts below breast centre chesnut, iris dark, bill bluish-grey, tip sometimes black, legs lead-grey. Female is as male, except that spots in front of eye is rufous and more rounded in shape. Juvenile undescribed. Immature resembles adult except for browner wings and tail.
Not Threatened
Male has large whitish-yellow crescent in front of eye, rest of head and face to centre of breast, side of neck and upperparts glossy bluish black, flight feather and tail lack gloss, underparts below breast centre chesnut, iris dark, bill bluish-black, flight-feathers and tail lack gloss, underparts below breast centre chesnut, iris dark, bill bluish-grey, tip sometimes black, legs lead-grey. Female is as male, except that spots in front of eye is rufous and more rounded in shape. Juvenile undescribed. Immature resembles adult except for browner wings and tail.
17-17.5 cm
Taxonomy: Pomarea erythrosticta Sharpe, 1888, Fauro, Shortland Islands, off south Bougainville. Forms a superspecies with M. melanopsis, M. frater, M. castaneiventris and M. richardsii. Has previously been considered conspecific with M. castaneiventris. Monotypic. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Distribution:
- Buka, Bougainville and Shortland Is (NW Solomons).
Primary forest, occasionally adjacent areas of secondary growth, recorded from sea-level up to 1200 m.
Resident.
Food items not well known, mainly small invertebrates, including small grasshoppers. Usually in pairs, mostly in small parties and mixed-specie foraging flocks. Forages actively and methodically among outer foliage of middle levels to upper canopy of trees. Hovering to glean items from outer foliage.
No info.
Common within its small range.