Pycnopygius cinereus
Marbled Honeyeater
Other common names: Grey/Grey-fronted/Greyish-brown Honeyeater
Taxonomy: Ptilotis cinerea P. L. Sclater, 1874, Hatam, Arfak Mountains, north-west New Guinea.
A medium-sized and rather drab honeyeater with medium-length solid bill. Nominate race has top of head blackishbrown, Fine grey streaking or scaling on forehead and forecrown becoming broader and bolder on nape and hindneck; side of head and neck dark brown to blackish-brown, diffuse and partial pale area surrounding eye formed by triangular blackish-speckled pale grey rear supercilium, blue-grey orbital ring and dark-speckled greyish-white crescent below eye; fine greyish speckling on lores, whitish patch ore streak of rear of eat-coverts, fine whitish malar streak; upperbody rich dark brown (some with olive tinge), feathers of mantle, back and scapulars with pale grey to olivegrey Fringes (giving diffusely mottled or streaked pattern); uppertail and upperwing rich brown, fine buff fringes on alula and median and greater secondary coverts, strongly tinged olive on greater primary coverts; fine olive-buff edges on remiges, more strongly tinged olive on secondaries (forming pale panel on folded wing); chin and throat dusky grey, mottled or barred off-white, underbody dusky brownish-grey with faint paler scaling, becoming brownishgrey and diffusely darker-mottled in ventral region; undertail brown-grey to dark olive-brown, underwing largely orange-buff with brownish-grey trailing edge and tip; iris brown, bare postocular skin blue-grey; bill black; legs light blue-grey.
Not Threatened
A medium-sized and rather drab honeyeater with medium-length solid bill. Nominate race has top of head blackishbrown, Fine grey streaking or scaling on forehead and forecrown becoming broader and bolder on nape and hindneck; side of head and neck dark brown to blackish-brown, diffuse and partial pale area surrounding eye formed by triangular blackish-speckled pale grey rear supercilium, blue-grey orbital ring and dark-speckled greyish-white crescent below eye; fine greyish speckling on lores, whitish patch ore streak of rear of eat-coverts, fine whitish malar streak; upperbody rich dark brown (some with olive tinge), feathers of mantle, back and scapulars with pale grey to olivegrey Fringes (giving diffusely mottled or streaked pattern); uppertail and upperwing rich brown, fine buff fringes on alula and median and greater secondary coverts, strongly tinged olive on greater primary coverts; fine olive-buff edges on remiges, more strongly tinged olive on secondaries (forming pale panel on folded wing); chin and throat dusky grey, mottled or barred off-white, underbody dusky brownish-grey with faint paler scaling, becoming brownishgrey and diffusely darker-mottled in ventral region; undertail brown-grey to dark olive-brown, underwing largely orange-buff with brownish-grey trailing edge and tip; iris brown, bare postocular skin blue-grey; bill black; legs light blue-grey. Sexes alike in plumage, male slightly lerger than female. Juvenile differs from adult in having crown greyer, upperwing-coverts duller brown than rest of upperparts, lacking conspicuous edges on most wing-coverts and primaries (but primary coverts and secondaries have rather bright brownish-olive edges), largely light grey below, with dark grey breast, buff vent and undertail coverts; immature very similar to adult but with stronger olive tinge, also retains juvenile rectrices and remiges. Race dorsalis is very like nominate, but darker; marmoratus has heavier off-white to pale grey scaling across breast and belly, merging into largely pale brownish-grey and diffusely darker mottled
lower underbody, iris light grey to blue-grey.
20-22 cm; male 40-58 g female 36-46 g (marmoratus)
Closest to P. ixoides. Three subspecies recognized.
(source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
cinereus (P. L. Sclater, 1874) - mountains of Vogelkop Peninsula, in NW New Guinea.
dorsalis Stresemann & Paludan, 1934 - Weyland Mts and S slopes of W Nassau Mts, in W New Guinea.
marmoratus (Sharpe, 1882) - Central Ranges of New Guinea E from Weyland Mts, also Adelbert Mts and mountains of Huon Peninsula (including Herzog Mts).
Hill forest and lower and middle montane forest, forest edge and secondary growth, also gardens; on Mt Edward Albert occurs in remnant oak forest and in patch of secondary growth on grassland; in Eastern Highlands mainly ay forest edge and in secondary growth, but recorded also in forest interior. Mainly at 1000-2000 m, locally as low as 500 m; tends to be more common at lower levels of altitudinal range, e.g. in Telefomin region upper limits at 1220-1520 m and very uncommon above this.
Diet includes nectar, small fruits (2-7 mm in diameter), insects, and parts of flowers. In Eastern Highlands foraged mainly in upper storey in trees with flowers or fruits; on Mt Edward Albert, seen to feed on berries in patch of secondary growth. Usually solitary and typically silent, inconspicuous and rather sluggish. In Eastern Highlands, repeatedly driven from fruiting tree and generally prevented from feeding by Melidectes torquatus.
Very poorly known. Nestling recorded in Mar, and female with enlarged ovary in Now. No further relevant information available, although eggs have been described.