Sericornis perspicillatus
A small distinctive scrubwren with orange-buff face and eyering, dark eye standing out prominently. Facial area, hin and quite broad ring around ee are ochre-buff, contrasting with greyish-olive crown and forehead; upperparts, including upperwing and tail, olive, tail with dark subterminal band on all restrices except central pair; underparts light ochraceous buff, darker on flanks and belly; iris blackish, brown or red-brown; bill dark brown or black, sometimes pale base of lower mandible; legs light brown or pale brownish-grey. Sexes alike. Juvenile is similar to adult.
Not Threatened
A small distinctive scrubwren with orange-buff face and eyering, dark eye standing out prominently. Facial area, hin and quite broad ring around ee are ochre-buff, contrasting with greyish-olive crown and forehead; upperparts, including upperwing and tail, olive, tail with dark subterminal band on all restrices except central pair; underparts light ochraceous buff, darker on flanks and belly; iris blackish, brown or red-brown; bill dark brown or black, sometimes pale base of lower mandible; legs light brown or pale brownish-grey. Sexes alike. Juvenile is similar to adult.
10 cm
Taxonomy: Sericornis perspicillata Salvadori, 1896, Moroka, south-eastern New Guinea. Forms a species pair with closely related S. rufescens. Form described as S. nigroviridis (dark olive-green, with dull blackish-grey on head to breast and central belly, some grey tips on upper throat) based on a single specimen from near Wau (SE New Guinea), believed to be almost certainly a melanistic individual of present species. Monotypic. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Distribution:
- Mountains of N, C, E & SE New Guinea: Gauttier Mts, Bewani Mts and Adelbert Mts, C ranges E from Weyland Mts, Mt Bosavi, also mountains in Huon Peninsula and SE ranges.
Humid montane and mid-montane forest, casuarina (Caruarina) groves, secondary growth and village gardens; 1500 – 2450 m, locally down to 850 m and up to 2800 m.
Insectivorous; adults seen to feed nestlings with arthropods, including months and small caterpillars (Lepidoptera). Forages mainly in lower to middle levels, sometimes ascending to canopy. Roams about in active noisy flock, often with mixed assemblages including Black Fantail (Rhipidura albolimbata), Sclater's Whistler (Pachycephala soror) and Little Shrike-thrust (Colluricincla megarhyncha). Forages mostly from foliage, by gleaning. Where sympatric with S. nouhuysi, is often found higher in vegetation than that species and, unlike it, does not generally probe trunks. Overlaps with S. arfakianus at lower elevations, but differs in feeding strategy.
Young seen in May, Aug and Oct. Nest a bulky structure, side entrance near top and with slight porch or hood, constructed of moss, rootlets and bamboo leaves, lined with feathers, fine grass and rootlets, suspended from shrub and fledging periods; nestlings fed by both adults.