Other common names: Lemon-cheeked Honeyeater
Taxonomy: Ptilotis obscura De Vis, 1897, Mount Scratchley, south-east New Guinea.
Nominate race has forehead and forecrown dusky grey, merging to olive-grey on hindcrown to hindneck, and to blackish on upper side of neck behind eye, face distinctively marked with varying off white to yellow gape and triangular patch on lores, which meets narrow yellowish partial orbital ring under eye., pal eyellow to yellow patch or tuft on upper ear-coverts extending forewards to meet orbital ring beneath eye, and bordered behind by large white patch on ise of neck, dark grey stripe across malar area and lower ear/coverts, narrowly and incompletely separated from dark grey side of lower throat by yellow throat by yellow line curving up to towards ear/coverts from yellow chin and upper throat, upperparts olive-brown to brownish/olive, diffusely mottled darker brown on mantle and upper throat.
Not Threatened
Nominate race has forehead and forecrown dusky grey, merging to olive-grey on hindcrown to hindneck, and to blackish on upper side of neck behind eye, face distinctively marked with varying off white to yellow gape and triangular patch on lores, which meets narrow yellowish partial orbital ring under eye., pal eyellow to yellow patch or tuft on upper ear-coverts extending forewards to meet orbital ring beneath eye, and bordered behind by large white patch on ise of neck, dark grey stripe across malar area and lower ear/coverts, narrowly and incompletely separated from dark grey side of lower throat by yellow throat by yellow line curving up to towards ear/coverts from yellow chin and upper throat, upperparts olive-brown to brownish/olive, diffusely mottled darker brown on mantle and upper throat. Back and scapulars, yellow-green edges of rectrices and remiges, sometimes and indistinct and broken buff bar across outer median secondary coverts, at least in fresh plumage, underbody paler than upperparts, greyzish/olive, with olive-brown tinge across lower breast merging to off-white in centre of belly, and idfuse dark, mottling throughout, undertail and underwing dark grey grown, buff underwing/coverts, iris dark grey/brown, black eye-ring, bill black, leg light blue-grey to grey, light rear of tarsus. Juvenile is very like to adult, but top of head olive-brown to brownish olive, as upperparts, which also lack dark mottling, undertail and underwing dark grey-brown, buff underwing coverts.
VOICE: Often quiet, song ebullient, of 2 notes followed by 4 rapid and higher-pitched “cheap” notes notes on descending scale, which are repeated 2-3 times, other calls include bubbling series of chearp syllables, rising and faling, rising and falling in pitch, and soft “ssit” repeated at intervals of 3-4 seconds. Call, or sound, also described as loud, distinctive, descending, set of chip, notes in series of descending sets.
18.5-19 cm, male 24-31 g, female 24-27 g, mean of 20 unsexed 26.5g
Taxonomy: Ptilotis obscura De Vis, 1897, Mount Scratchley, south-east New Guinea. Genus often subsumed in Meliphaga. Present species sometimes placed in Oreornis. Forms a distinctive species group with L. subfrenatus, L. frenatus, L. hindwoodi and L. chrysops, and all sometimes combined in a separate genus, Caligavis. Populations of Weyland Mts intermediate between nominate race and viridifrons. Two subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- viridifrons (Salomonsen, 1966) - mountains of Vogelkop, in NW New Guinea.
- obscurus (De Vis, 1897) - patchily distributed on lower slopes of N, C & SE New Guinea E from Weyland Mts.
Primary forest, mainly hill forest, less often in secondary growth and disturbed habitats as gardens. Somewhere recorded only in primary forest, and not in edge or non/forest habitat. Mainly in hills between 200 m and 1100 m, occasionally as high as 1400 m. Locally in lowlands (to 100 m) bordering hills.
Diet include nectar, small arthropods, and fruit. Forages mainly in lower and middle stages of forest, particulary understorey, but will search in crowns of large flowering trees, noted foraging strictly in lower branches and middle storey. Seen to visit inflorescences of canopy epyphites. Associates with other species in flowering or fruiting plants.
Two active nsets known, one is SW at end Aug and other in E in mid/Oct, seven specimens from eastern highlands had non/enlarged gonads in Jul/Aug. Nest cup/shaped, though one tilted and with rim built up in higher side and forming partial dome. Two eggs.