Ptiloprora plumbea
Nominate race has head, neck and upperbody leade grey, fine blackish-brown streaking on top of head, hindneck and side of neck, merging to dense fine pale grey to off-white speckling on side of head and chin and throat, and to broader and more diffuse blackish-brown streaking on mantle, back and scapulars, upperwing and uppertail grey-brown, browner than upperparts, wing-coverts and remiges with fine olive to olive-grey outer edges and tips, underbody almost uniformly leaden grey. with fine and sparse white speckling across breast and olive-brown wash on belly
Not Threatened
Nominate race has head, neck and upperbody leade grey, fine blackish-brown streaking on top of head, hindneck and side of neck, merging to dense fine pale grey to off-white speckling on side of head and chin and throat, and to broader and more diffuse blackish-brown streaking on mantle, back and scapulars, upperwing and uppertail grey-brown, browner than upperparts, wing-coverts and remiges with fine olive to olive-grey outer edges and tips, underbody almost uniformly leaden grey, with fine and sparse white speckling across breast and olive-brown wash on belly, undertail brownish underwing pale buff-grey with dark brownish-grey trailing edge and tip, iris typically light grey to silverly grey, in some (possibly immature) brown, bill balck to grey-black, legs pale slate-blue or blue-grey. Sexes alike in plumage, male larger than female. Juvenile and immature apparently undescribed. Race granti is like nominate but slightly darker, slate-grey, with darker streaking on upperparts, and longer wing.
14-15 cm, two males 13.5 g and 14 g, one female 12.5 g nominate, one male 16.5 g (granti)
Taxonomy: Ptilotis plumbea Salvadori, 1894, Moroka, south-east New Guinea. Two subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * granti Mayr, 1931 - patchily in Central Ranges of New Guinea (Nassau Mts E to Hindenburg Mts). * plumbea (Salvadori, 1894) - patchily in mountains of SE New Guinea, including Herzog Mts.
Mid-montane primary forest, forest edge and secondary growth, recorded also in gardens in Ok Tedi area. From 1000 m to 2100 m, possibly to 2400 m.
Arthropods and dectar from flowers. Forages from canopy levels almost to ground, frequently in lower and middle stages (3-15 m above ground). Arthorpods gleaned from foliage, twigs and petioles, nectar taken from flowers, including understorey flowers e.g. ginger. Not shy, but inconspicuous, active, continually flitting about when foraging in opening in forest. Usually seen singly and often adopts posture with tail cocked, often flicks tail upwards.
No information