Ptilorrhoa caerulescens
Male nominate race has entire body blue, except for white chin to upper breast bordered by black band from lores and broadly through and below orbit to neck side and across breast; remiges dark grey- black; inner primaries with bluish tinge on outer webs; secondaries entirely blueon outer webs; tail dusky brown, washed with blue, strongly so on outer webs; iris dark brown; bill and legs black. Female is similar to male but somewhat smaller, with white of throat extending to lower edge of eye. Juvenile is like female, but underparts browner. Race neumanni male is inseparable from nominate, female similar but black band from lores through ear- coverts extends below orbit; nigricrissus is similar, but undertail- coverts partly black, female with thin white supercilium.
Not Threatened
Male nominate race has entire body blue, except for white chin to upper breast bordered by black band from lores and broadly through and below orbit to neck side and across breast; remiges dark grey- black; inner primaries with bluish tinge on outer webs; secondaries entirely blueon outer webs; tail dusky brown, washed with blue, strongly so on outer webs; iris dark brown; bill and legs black. Female is similar to male but somewhat smaller, with white of throat extending to lower edge of eye. Juvenile is like female, but underparts browner. Race neumanni male is inseparable from nominate, female similar but black band from lores through ear- coverts extends below orbit; nigricrissus is similar, but undertail- coverts partly black, female with thin white supercilium.
22 cm; 46- 61 g
Taxonomy: Eupetes caerulescens Temminck, 1836, Lobo, Irian Jaya, New Guinea. Often treated as conspecific with P. geislerorum, but the two show some altitudinal separation in area of co-existence in N New Guinea (near Madang); they also differ in behaviour, vocalizations and female plumage. Three subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * caerulescens (Temminck, 1836) - West Papuan Is (Salawati, Misool) and NW New Guinea (Vogelkop E to R Wanggar and Etna Bay). * neumanni (Mayr & Meyer de Schauensee, 1939) - N New Guinea from R Mamberamo E to Astrolabe Bay. * nigricrissus (Salvadori, 1876) - S New Guinea from R Wanggar and Etna Bay E to Milne Bay.
Rainforest, monsoon forest, adjacent tall secondarz growth and gallerz forest; prefers damper localities. Lowlands and foothills to c. 300 m, above witch repleaced by P. Castanonota, with little or no elevation overlap.
Insects. Forages on ground; uses bill to turn leaves, and probes in crevices. Flicks wings while feeding, probably to flush insects.
Nests with eggs in mid- Sept and late Dec and fledglings in mid- Oct and mid- Nov, indicating breeding from middle of dry season to early wet season, at least. Territorial. Nest a deep cup of dead leaves and palm fronds, lined with fine rootlets, placed in depression on ground between buttressed roots or at base of small tree. Clutch two eggs, brownish- white, marked with fine grey- brown spots and streaks, and with dark brownish band around large end, 23- 5 x 19- 3 mm; no information on incubation and nestling periods. Longevity of ringed individuals more than 5 years 7 months.