Melidectes ochromelas
Cinnamon-browed Honeyeater
Other common names: Cinnamon-browed/Dark-mantled/Midmountain Melidectes, Dark-mantled/Mid-mountain Honeyeater
Taxonomy: Melirrhophetes ochromelas A. B. Meyer, 1874, Hatam, Arfak Mountains, Vogelkop, north-west New Guinea.
Not Threatened
Nominate race has top and side of head and chin and upper throat brownish-black, merging into dark brownish-grey or dusky olive-brown with diffuse whitish scaling on hindneck, Side of neck and lower throat, short pale cinnamon supercilium bordering large patch of pale green to greenish-yellows bare skin around eye, fine streak of pale cinnamon across rear ear-coverts, grey tinge on lower ear-coverts merging into brownish-grey side of neck, pale yellowish to yellow gape wattle, small red to orange-red wattle at side of throat, upperbody dark brownish-grey or dusky olive-brown, heavily scale pale grey to off-white on mantle, back and scapulars, upperwing and tail brownish-black, broad yellow-olive outer on primaries and secondatries, narrow buff tips on outer primaries, and broad greenish-olive outer edges of rectrices, underbody brownish-grey or dusky brown, with diffuse pale grey to off-white streaking on breast and belly, merging into broader white barring or mottling on lower belly and vent, and into rufous-buff on undertail-coverts, undertail gre-brown.iris brown to blackish brown, described also as dark grey, bill pale bluish-grey, paler towards tips, legs pale to dull blue-grey, described also as whitish. Sexes alike in plumage, male larger than female. Juvenile undescribed. Race batesi is like nominate but with more pronounced supercilium, and underbody browner and less grey toned, Lucifer resembles previous, but darker on head and breast.
24-25 cm, male 61.5-65 g, female 54-62.5 g (nominate).
Study of relationships within genus needed. Present species and M. leucostephes, M. belfordi, M. rufocrissalis, M. foersteri and M. torquatus comprise a group of relatively large species that differ from others in genus in size, morphology, plumage and voice. Birds in Weyland Mts intermediate between nominate race and batesi, and currently included within latter. Three subspecies recognized.
(source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
ochromelas (A. B. Meyer, 1874) - mountains of Vogelkop (Tamrau Mts, Arfak Mts) and Wandammen Mts, in NW New Guinea.
batesi (Sharpe, 1886) - Weyland Mts, S slopes of Nassau Mts and mountains of SE New Guinea.
lucifer Mayr, 1931 - mountains of Huon Peninsula, in NE New Guinea.
Lower to montane forest and forest edge. From 1100 m to 1800 m or 2000, and locally as low as 770 m, possibly as high as 2590 m.
No details on food. Usually forages in canopy and middle levels of forest. Pair seen to probe lichen on trees. Noisy and pugnacious. Usually singly.
Eggs recorded in Jan, and dependent fledglings being fed with insect by both parents in mid-May. Nest undescribed. No other information.