Meliphaga flavirictus
Yellow-gaped Honeyeater
Other common names: Yellow-gaped Meliphaga
Taxonomy: Ptilotis flavirictus Salvadori, 1880, Fly River, south New Guinea.
Nominate race is rather pale grayish-olive above, side of head grayer, and with dark grayish lores, pale yellowish-white lower ear-coverts (forming small patch), and prominent bright yellow gape that merges with conspicuous yellowish-white to pale orange-yellow rictal streak, latter bordered below by narrow pale olive malar stripe and only narrowly separated from pale ear-patch, upperwing dark brown, coverts and alula with olive fringes, remiges with olive outer edges and yellowish with outer edges, grayish below, yellowish wash on chin and throat.
Not Threatened
Nominate race is rather pale greyish-olive above, side of head greyer, and with dark greyish lores, pale yellowish-white lower ear-coverts (forming small patch), and prominent bright yellow gape that merges with conspicuous yellowish-white to pale orange-yellow rectal streak, latter bordered below by narrow pale olive malar stripe and only narrowly separated from pale ear-patch, upperwing dark brown, coverts and alula with olive fringes, remiges with olive outer edges and yellowish with outer edges, greyish below, yellowish wash on chin and throat. Underwing-coverts yellowish-white, iris light grey-brown or brownish. Bill blackish to grey brown, legs yellowish-olive. Differs from M.albolimbata in smaller size, more slender bill, smaller ear/patch, greyer upperparts, more prominent rectal streak. Sexes alike in plumage, male slightly larger than female. Juvenile undescribed. Race crockettorum differs from nominate in richer olive-green upperparts, larger and more rounded yellow underwing coverts, blacker bill, grayish legs.
15 cm, one male 20 g, one unsexed 17 g, one male 22 g
Taxonomy: Ptilotis flavirictus Salvadori, 1880, Fly River, south New
Guinea.
On basis of molecular evidence, genus consists of two clades; present species is part of group which contains also M. orientalis, M. analoga, M. albonotata, M. vicina, M. gracilis, M. cinereifrons, M. mimikae, M. montana, M. albilineata, M. fordiana and M. reticulata. Races intergrade on S slopes of Snow Mts. Two subspecies recognized.
(source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- crockettorum Mayr & Meyer de Schauensee, 1939 - W & N New Guinea from* Vogelkop E to Sepik R and Herzog Mts and, in S, to Utakwa R (Nassau Mts),* Snow Mts and probably farther E towards Fly R.
- flavirictus (Salvadori, 1880) - S watershed of Central Range from middle and lower Fly R E to S slopes of SE New Guinea.
Primary forest and edge, including foothill forest and monsoon rainforest, nominate race also in savanna. Sea-level to c. 1400 m.
Arthropod (mainly insect), and almost certainly fruit and nectar. Forages in canopy, often in flowering or fruiting trees. Difficult to observe, but said to be more vocal than congeners. Usually singly or in small groups, sometimes with honeyeaters. Including M.gracilis and M.analoga.
No information
