Short-bearded Honeyeater
Other common names: (Short-)bearded/Nouhuys’s Melidectes
Taxonomy: Melirrhophetes nouhuysi van Oort, 1910, Oranje Mountains, west-central New Guinea.
Appears wholly dark blackish-brown to sooty black, tinged brownish on lower belly, with small patch of yellow to golden yellow bare skin behind eye, indistinct white tip of tail, white chin and throat, feathers of which slightly elonged and tufted, forming short but prominent “beard” at side of throat, varying grayish scalloping on breast, belly and vent, pale buff scalloping on undertial-coverts, iris dark brown to dark reddish-brown, bill black, legs pale blue-grey, but described also as brownish-black and black. Sexes alike in plumage, male larger than female. Juvenile undescribed, immature differs from adult in dull yellow wash on whitish elongated feathers of chin and throat, mixed with some off-white feathers, olive tinged on breast, yellowish and weaker scalloping on underbody, and buff to rufous-buff undertial-coverts.
VOICE: In snow Mts. Scolding call a low, buzzy “Chsch” repeated rapidly 4-6 times, and utters repeated, sweat scolding “swee” during mutual chaing. In Star mts. Calls include metallic “pwik” and than thin “weet-weet” in flight.
27-27.5 cm
Study of relationships within genus needed. Forms a superspecies with M. princeps, and both species, together with M. fuscus, are sometimes placed in a separate genus, Melionyx; these three, along with M. whitemanensis, comprise a group of medium-sized species that differ from others in genus in size, morphology, plumage and voice. Length of bill may vary, being longer in Star Mts than in Snow Mts; study required. Monotypic.
Highest mountains of Central Range in Snow and Star Mts, including Nassau Range, Mt Capella and Dokfuma Meadow, in WC New Guinea.
Open high mountain forest, forest edge and scattered clumps of shrubs and tree bordering or in alpine grassland at tree-line, usually low in fringing vegetation and shrubs. Recorded from 3050 m to 4500 m. 330-4500 m in Snow Mts. No lower than upper limit of closed forest.
Fruit seeds, and nectar. Forages mainly in shrubs or on ground in thickets or clumps, also in upper levels of trees, seen to glean from leaf litter. Secretive but no shy, when pursued by observer, hopped rapidly through shrubs, or flew from one clump to another.
One nest found, on 10th Aug, a loose bulky cup/shaped structure of moss, liverwort and thread-like fungi.