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Species
Drepanornis albertisi Sclater, PL, 1873
Nomenclature
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Family: ParadisaeidaeGenus: Drepanornis
Media
SUMMARY
Fairly large paradisaeid with very long, sickle-shaped bill and medium-length tail. Male nominate race has head variably cinnamon-brown, browner on crown, where feathers tipped iridescent coppery purple; lores, chin and throat blackish, strongly tainted iridescent leaf-green; elongate forecrown feathers form "horn" above front edge of each eye, with some shorter feathers tipped iridescent purple-blue and longer ones magenta; bare facial skin dark maroon-grey; upperparts and upperwing cinnamon-brown, rump and uppertail-coverts paler, tertials and primaries with broad cinnamon leading edges; uppertail pale cinnamon; sooty-brown to sooty-grey upper breast separated from lower breast and flank plumes of same colour by band of feathers broadly tipped iridescent violet-purple with magenta wash; loosely structured pectoral plumes iridescent bronze with magenta wash, and similarly structured elongate flank plumes broadly tipped purple; central belly, vent and undertail-coverts white; iris dark brown; bill shiny black; mouth pale green or pale yellow, legs brownish to greyish or blackish. Female is similar to male in size and weight, lacks iridescent feathering, but otherwise similar above to adult male but darker and more amber on tail; chin and throat cinnamon-brown with fine pale, buffy central feather shafts, underparts barred dark brown throughout except on lower breast, where feather barring forms chevrons. Juvenile undescribed; immature like adult female, but with longer tail than both adult sexes; subadult male varies from similar to adult female with few feathers of adult male plumage intruding to much like adult male but with few feathers of female-like plumage remaining adult male plumage exhibited patchily for at least one breeding season, horns over eves usually acquired at same lime as iridescent green throat, iridescent purple-tipped flank plumes and extensive central breast patch of olive-brown, barred female-like plumage remaining above and below latter; male tall length decreases slightly with age. Race cervinicauda is smaller than nominate, with proportionately shorter tail, paler uppertail-coverts and tail, underparts of birds in female-type plumage pale buff with paler brown barring.