Pycnopygius stictocephalus
Streak-headed Honeyeater
Other common names: Streak-capped/Spangle-crowned Honeyeater
Taxonomy: Pycnonotus (?) stictocephalus Salvadori, 1876, Naiabui, Hall Sound, south-east New Guinea. Monotypic.
Medium-sized rather drab honeyeater, with rather small and only slightly decurved bill; appearance much affected by plumage wear and fading. Top of head is blackish-brown with fine and short off white to grayish-white streaking or speckling; side of head and neck, and chin and upper throat dark brown, conspicuous pale buff to off-white to grayish-white streaking or speckling; side of head and neck, and chin and upper throat dark brown, conspicuous pale buff to off-white malar streak; upperparts dark brown, slightly darker on wing and tail, and becoming slightly paler with wear; lower throat and underbody buff-brown, underwing rich buff with dark grey trailing edge and tip; iris brown to dark brown or redddish-brown; bill blackish-brown to black, at least some gaving purplish tinge at base of lower mandible; legs dark grey. Saxes alike in plumage, male larger than female. Juvenile has underbody paler, buff, with grey tinge on breast, rectrices conspicuously edged and tipped pale brown to pale rufous; immature nondescript, differs from adult mainly in having top of head blackish with grey tinge or faint greyish mottling or spotting (not white spotting or streading), verging to
dull black son side of head and dull greyish-black on chin and throat, much less distinct malar stripe, duller brown upperparts and underbody, and (at least when plumage fresh) upperwing-coverts conspicuously edged rufous, also retained juvenile wing and tail with more conspicuous pale edging on rectrices.
Not Threatened
Medium-sized rather drab honeyeater, with rather small and only slightly decurved bill; appearance much affected by plumage wear and fading. Top of head is blackish-brown with fine and short off white to grayish-white streaking or speckling; side of head and neck, and chin and upper throat dark brown, conspicuous pale buff to off-white to grayish-white streaking or speckling; side of head and neck, and chin and upper throat dark brown, conspicuous pale buff to off-white malar streak; upperparts dark brown, slightly darker on wing and tail, and becoming slightly paler with wear; lower throat and underbody buff-brown, underwing rich buff with dark grey trailing edge and tip; iris brown to dark brown or redddish-brown; bill blackish-brown to black, at least some gaving purplish tinge at base of lower mandible; legs dark grey. Saxes alike in plumage, male larger than female. Juvenile has underbody paler, buff, with grey tinge on breast, rectrices conspicuously edged and tipped pale brown to pale rufous; immature nondescript, differs from adult mainly in having top of head blackish with grey tinge or faint greyish mottling or spotting (not white spotting or streading), verging to
dull black son side of head and dull greyish-black on chin and throat, much less distinct malar stripe, duller brown upperparts and underbody, and (at least when plumage fresh) upperwing-coverts conspicuously edged rufous, also retained juvenile wing and tail with more conspicuous pale edging on rectrices.
21 cm; two males 38 g and 39 g
(source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Salawati (in West Papuan Is), Aru Is and throughout lowland New Guinea.
Generally a forest-edge specialist. Inhabits mainly disturbed and often open habitats, including tall secondary growth and partly cleared forest, forest edge, gallery vegetation in savanna, dense eucalypt savanna woodland, awamp-forest and monsoon woodland or scrub, and gardens; found in rubber plantations around Veinauri-Kuriva (SE New Guinea). Tecorded olso in primary lowland forest (e.g. E Sepik District), primary hill forest (Ok Menga) and lower levels of dense forest (e.g. at Manokwari). Mainly sea-level to 500 m, locally to 640-750 m (Ok Tedi area) and 1000 m (Adelbert Mts).
Diet nectar, small fruits including figs, insects. Often gleans from foliage, but also probes flowers for nectar. Seen in top branches of tall secondary growth, in upper storey and canopy of lowland forest, also in lower levels of primary forest.
Active nest near Finschhafen in early Sept and onother near Port Moresby 9th Mar (latter apparently abandoned 4-6 days later). Nest a finely woven cup or basket of fine stems, suspended by rim from fine fork in foliage, near Port Moresby a deep cup of dried material (possibly grass), with exterior an even latticework, appeared to be suspended by two edges and was overhung by two large leaves, one nest c. 12 m above ground near top of tree, another 8 m up in small tree.