Male is strikingly black and white, has top of head to below eye black, chin black, upperparts entirely glossy black except for large erectile ruff of white collar and side of neck, and white scapulars, lower back and rump; white below; iris dark brown, prominent fleshy blue eye wattle; bill pale blue-grey; legs blue-grey. Female is very different from male, has black crown and ear-coverts, orange-buff hindneck-collar, rich rufous-brown upperparts, orange-buff chin, throat and breast, belly paler; has blue eye wattle. Immature is similar to female but duller, has bill light horn-coloured, legs light brown. Races differ mainly in female plumage: harterti female has belly white; lauterbachi female has pale rufous belly; aruensis female duller and darker above than nominate, and smaller; batantae larger, but otherwise very similar to nominate.
Not Threatened
Male is strikingly black and white, has top of head to below eye black, chin black, upperparts entirely glossy black except for large erectile ruff of white collar and side of neck, and white scapulars, lower back and rump; white below; iris dark brown, prominent fleshy blue eye wattle; bill pale blue-grey; legs blue-grey. Female is very different from male, has black crown and ear-coverts, orange-buff hindneck-collar, rich rufous-brown upperparts, orange-buff chin, throat and breast, belly paler; has blue eye wattle. Immature is similar to female but duller, has bill light horn-coloured, legs light brown. Races differ mainly in female plumage: harterti female has belly white; lauterbachi female has pale rufous belly; aruensis female duller and darker above than nominate, and smaller; batantae larger, but otherwise very similar to nominate.
15 – 16 cm; 12 – 15 g
Taxonomy: Muscicapa telescopthalmus Lesson and Garnot, 1827, Manokwari, north-western New Guinea. Forms a superspecies with A. insularis, A. lorealis and A. kaupi. Often regarded as conspecific with first two, but differs morphologically and, to some extent, vocally. Described race henkei (SE coast from Hall Sound E to Orangerie Bay) now considered an intergrade between harterti and lauterbachi. Species name often misspelt "telescophthalmus". Five subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * batantae Sharpe, 1879 - W Papuan Is (Waigeo, Batanta), in NW New Guinea. * telescopthalmus (Lesson & Garnot, 1827) - W Papuan Is (Salawati, Misool) and mainland NW New Guinea (E to head of Geelvink Bay and, on S coast, to Etna Bay). * aruensis Sharpe, 1879 - Aru Is. * harterti van Oort,, 1909 - S New Guinea from R Mimika E to R Purari, and Boigu I (in N Torres Strait). * lauterbachi Reichenow, 1897 - SE New Guinea (on N coast E from Huon Peninsula).
Rainforest, forest edge, gallery forest and secondary growth; lowlands and hills, to c. 1500 m.
Food arthropods, including crickets and grasshoppers (Orthoptera) and weevils (Coleoptera). Conspicuous, usually seen singly or in pairs, sometimes accompanied by a juvenile; often a core member of mixed-species feeding flocks, and often associated with Monarcha guttula in same flock. Forages chiefly in middle stratum and lower canopy. Gleans from leaves, branches and trunks; also feeds in dense thickets of gingers and vines, explores hanging clusters of dead leaves. Darts out, with tail fanned, after flying insects. Females tend to keep to higher levels in forest, reflecting different feeding strategies of sexes; males more in understorey and lower mid-levels, where they forage on trunks and hanging vines, whereas females make more aerial sallies.
Season varies with locality, Aug – Dec (mostly in late dry season in Oct) and again in late wet season Apr – May around Port Moresby, and recorded in Feb wet season in Astrolabe Range; may be opportunistic. Monogamous; vigorously defends territory throughout year. Frill on hindneck erected when alarmed or displaying. Nest built by both sexes, a miniature hanging cup of loosely interwoven fine twigs, bound with spider webs, externally decorated with lichen, slung between hanging creepers or branches, often at forest edge and in fairly open site, 2,4 – 12 m above ground; may be built near old nests of the species; breeding territory c. 2 ha. Clutch 2 eggs; both sexes incubate eggs and both care for young; no information on incubation and nestling periods.