Male has vivid ochre-buff collar (feathers erectile), neck side, chin, throat and upper breast, black face with well-developed blue fleshy eyering, small area of black on chin; mantle, remiges and tail black, lower back, scapulars and rump white; lower breast, belly, flanks and undertail-coverts white; iris dark brown; bill and legs blue blue-grey. Female is rather dingy, with ash-grey top of head, and upperparts mostly dull olive-brown, collar, chin, throat and upper breast rufous, rest of underparts white. Immature resembles female but seems even duller, and may have black on top of head and orange-buff chin, throat and upper breast.
Not Threatened
Male has vivid ochre-buff collar (feathers erectile), neck side, chin, throat and upper breast, black face with well-developed blue fleshy eyering, small area of black on chin; mantle, remiges and tail black, lower back, scapulars and rump white; lower breast, belly, flanks and undertail-coverts white; iris dark brown; bill and legs blue blue-grey. Female is rather dingy, with ash-grey top of head, and upperparts mostly dull olive-brown, collar, chin, throat and upper breast rufous, rest of underparts white. Immature resembles female but seems even duller, and may have black on top of head and orange-buff chin, throat and upper breast.
15 – 16 cm
Taxonomy: Monarcha insularis A. B. Meyer, 1874, Ansus, Yapen Island, New Guinea. Forms a superspecies with A. telescopthalmus, A. lorealis and A. kaupi. Often regarded as conspecific with first of those, but differs morphologically and vocally. Monotypic. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Distribution:
- Yapen I and N New Guinea (from R Mamberamo E to Astrolabe Bay and upper R Ramu).
Rainforest in lowlands, hills and mountains, to c. 1500 m. Also on forest edge, but seems to avoid heavily disturbed habitat. Where narrowly sympatric with A. telescopthalmus (on E edge of N slope), perhaps more in higher areas than those where latter species occurs.
Primarily insectivorous. Usually seen singly or in pairs; associates with mixed-species flocks generally keeping on periphery. Forages mainly in middle stratum among large trees, but often ascends to lower canopy and occasionally descends to thickets. Not known if sexes differ in feeding strategies, but males are seen more often than are females. Seems much shyer, more wary than A. telescopthalmus, descending to lower stage much less often than does that species.
Season may vary with region, records in Aug – Sept drier season in E of range (highlands and Madang), Apr – May late wet season in W (R Idenburg area). Nest a cup of fibres and rootlets bounds with cobwebs, externally decorated with lichen, slung between small vertical branches 3 – 5 m off ground.