Paramythia montium
Highly distinctive passerine; feathers of crown elongated, forming flattened, erectile crest. Nominate race has forehead, forecrown, crest, face and bib on upper breast black, hindcrown to nape whitish to pale grey (usually partially covered by flattened crest, pale area appearing as contrasting long broad stripe extending backwards from above eye); upperparts and upperwing green, wingtip blackish-brawn, tail blue-grey; ear-coverts, hindneck and underparts to belly blue-grey, area on flanks (often hidden under wing) and area on lower abdomen to undertail-covers golden olive-yellow; iris dark blue-grey to dark slate-brown; bill and legs black. Sexes alike, female on average smaller that male. Immature is much duller than adult, has hindneck and nape dark olive-green, as back, pale grey area on head confined to small patch above and back from eye; dull olive-tinged bluish-grey below, becoming blackish on upper throat and ohin, feathers of abdomen of abdomen fringed yellowish-olive, becoming dull olive-yellow ventrally. Race brevicauda is like nominate but with shorter tail; olivacea is distinctive, with longer crest, streak above eye to nape white, feathers of nape white basally with black tips, back olive-green, and flanks wholly greyish-blue; alpina is like previous but larger (male wing 112-123 mm, compared with 100-108 mm), with upperparts clearer green, less olive-green, juvenile largely grey below with black throat and pale whitish-yellow lower underparts.
Not Threatened
Highly distinctive passerine; feathers of crown elongated, forming flattened, erectile crest. Nominate race has forehead, forecrown, crest, face and bib on upper breast black, hindcrown to nape whitish to pale grey (usually partially covered by flattened crest, pale area appearing as contrasting long broad stripe extending backwards from above eye); upperparts and upperwing green, wingtip blackish-brawn, tail blue-grey; ear-coverts, hindneck and underparts to belly blue-grey, area on flanks (often hidden under wing) and area on lower abdomen to undertail-covers golden olive-yellow; iris dark blue-grey to dark slate-brown; bill and legs black. Sexes alike, female on average smaller that male. Immature is much duller than adult, has hindneck and nape dark olive-green, as back, pale grey area on head confined to small patch above and back from eye; dull olive-tinged bluish-grey below, becoming blackish on upper throat and ohin, feathers of abdomen of abdomen fringed yellowish-olive, becoming dull olive-yellow ventrally. Race brevicauda is like nominate but with shorter tail; olivacea is distinctive, with longer crest, streak above eye to nape white, feathers of nape white basally with black tips, back olive-green, and flanks wholly greyish-blue; alpina is like previous but larger (male wing 112-123 mm, compared with 100-108 mm), with upperparts clearer green, less olive-green, juvenile largely grey below with black throat and pale whitish-yellow lower underparts.
19-22 cm; 36-61 g
Taxonomy: Paramythia montium De Vis, 1892, Mount Suckling, south-eastern New Guinea. Affinities of this genus and Oreocharis have long been uncertain; traditionally placed in flowerpecker family (Dicaeidae), and suggested by some authors as being aberrant bulbuls (Pycnonotidae); recently, both genera included with berrypeckers and longbills in family Melanocharitidae. Both, however, are well differentiated from these other families in external morphology and in aspects of nidification, and molecular-genetic analyses also support treatment as a separate family. Races form two groups, "olivacea group" (with alpina) in W and "nominate group" (with brevicauda) in E; these sometimes considered two separate species, and evidence of intergradation between the two groups is lacking, but specimens from area between Snow Mts and Star Mts of WC New Guinea required for further study. Subspecific separation of populations in Weyland Mts and Snow Mts region of W New Guinea has been considered inadvisable, and recognition of altitudinal race alpina therefore made with reservation; further analysis of specimens needed. Proposed race occidentis (from Hellwig Mts, on S slopes of Snow Mts) regarded as a synonym of olivacea. Four subspecies tentatively recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * olivacea van Oort, 1910 - W New Guinea (Weyland Mts and Snow Mts). * alpina Salomonsen, 1961 - area surrounding Mt Wilhelmina (= Mt Trikora) and Mt Carstenz (= Mt Jaya), on upper slopes of Snow Mts (Nassau Range), in W New Guinea. * montium De Vis, 1892 - mountains of C, E & SE New Guinea (E from Star Mts). * brevicauda Mayr & Gilliard, 1954 - mountains of Huon Peninsula, in NE New Guinea.
Mossy montane forest, forest edge and alpine thickets; from c. 2150 m, mainly above 2450 m, up to tree-line at c. 3800-4100 m.
Food almost entirely small fruits of a variety of trees and shrubs; also fruits of umbrella trees (Schellera), immature seed “cones” of Darycarpus species, and fruits/seeds of sedges (Cyperaceae). Insects recorded rarely in stomach contents; observed to devout contents of an arthropod cocoon. Nestling fed with fruit and insects. Fruits swallowed whole. Usually in pairs; also in loose parties of up to ten or more individuals, and sometimes in dispersed flocks of up to at least 75 birds. Flocks occasionally accompanied by mainly or partially insectivorous species, including Blue-capped Ifrit, Black-throated Honeyeater and Friendly Fantail. Active; ranges from canopy to shrubbery levels, and occasionally descends to the ground. When feeding, takes only a few berries in one tree before moving on. Often explores ends of twigs acrobatically.
Season Aug-Feb. Nest cup-shaped, bulky, deep, loose and untidy, composed of a coarse moss-like liverwort, or mosses, with some lichens and semi-woody stems and a thick cushion of chaff from tree-ferns; placed 0.9-4 m above ground in dense branches of shrubby bush or sapling and supported on all sides by dense twigs, or in fork of lightly to densely foliaged small sapling. Clutch 1 egg; incubation by female alone, period apparently more than 12 days; chick fed by both parents, no information on duration of nestling period.
