Medium-sized, distinctively patterned myna with patch of bare circumorbital skin extending to form a blue wedge behind eye. Nominate race has head, mantle and upper back black, feathers broadly tipped with glossy oily green, broad collar on hindneck and side of neck creamy orange; feathers of lower back to uppertail-coverts elongated and degraded, with deep orange tips; wing dark brown, white patch on inner webs of outer and innermost primaries (PI and P9) and on both webs of other primaries, forming conspicuous wingbar in flight: tail black with slight green gloss; chin, throat and belly black with oily-green gloss, breast feathers black with broad orange-yellow tips, lower belly and vent yellow, undertail-coverts creamy white: iris yellow, bare circumorbital skin dark blue; bill and legs yellow. Sexes alike. Juvenile has yellow areas of plumage duller than adult and mottled with black, underparts black with yellow scaling. Races differ in plumage pattern: orientalis has forehead and crown glossy-yellow orange, with orange-yellow stripes extending down on each side of hindcrown to join glossy orange-yellow collar; robertsoni has entire crown and nape glossy orange.
Not Threatened
Medium-sized, distinctively patterned myna with patch of bare circumorbital skin extending to form a blue wedge behind eye. Nominate race has head, mantle and upper back black, feathers broadly tipped with glossy oily green, broad collar on hindneck and side of neck creamy orange; feathers of lower back to uppertail-coverts elongated and degraded, with deep orange tips; wing dark brown, white patch on inner webs of outer and innermost primaries (PI and P9) and on both webs of other primaries, forming conspicuous wingbar in flight: tail black with slight green gloss; chin, throat and belly black with oily-green gloss, breast feathers black with broad orange-yellow tips, lower belly and vent yellow, undertail-coverts creamy white: iris yellow, bare circumorbital skin dark blue; bill and legs yellow. Sexes alike. Juvenile has yellow areas of plumage duller than adult and mottled with black, underparts black with yellow scaling. Races differ in plumage pattern: orientalis has forehead and crown glossy-yellow orange, with orange-yellow stripes extending down on each side of hindcrown to join glossy orange-yellow collar; robertsoni has entire crown and nape glossy orange.
25 cm; mean 152 g
Taxonomy: Sericulus Ana?s Lesson, 1839, New Guinea. Three subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * anais ( Lesson, 1839) - West Papuan Is (Salawati) and NW New Guinea. * orientalis ( Schlegel, 1871) - coastal N New Guinea E to Huon Peninsula. * robertsoni D'Albertis, 1877 - S New Guinea E to Milne Bay.
Lowland forest below 600 m, including monsoon forest; also forest edge and partially cleared areas, provided that tall trees still present.
Diet apparently only fruit. Forages primarily in upper canopy. Occurs typically in pairs, occasionally in small flocks: may join groups of M. dumontii.
Breeding season believed long, from end of wet season through dry' season; activity at nest-holes Feb-Oct, but holes may be used for roosting as well as for nesting. Monogamous; close association of partners and allopreening suggest long-term pair-bond. Nest placed 10-30 m above ground in tree hole, generally at forest edge or in clearing. Clutch size not known, but one nest contained two young; young fed by both adults, perhaps entirely with fruit, and long nestling period likely. No further information.