Pitohui nigrescens
Male nominate race has body entirely slaty black, crown and side of head slightly darker, flanks slightly more slaty, remiges and rectrices blackish- brown; iris dark brown; bill and legs black. Female has crown ashy brown, forehead and lores slightly greyer, sides of face and neck tawny- brown, upperparts olive- brown, rump and uppertail- coverts slightly more reddish, remiges brown, edged chestnut on outer webs, wing- coverts washed reddish- brown, greater coverts with olive tinge, tail chestnut; throat ashy brown, underparts tawny- brown; iris umbre, bill blackish- brown, lower mandible sometimes paler, legs dark grey. Juvenile male is generally sooty greyish- brown to blackish with chestnut edges of feathers, including wing- coverts; immature male like adult but lighter, retains some juvenile wing- coverts, bill pale; immature female like adult, but retains some juvenile wing- coverts. Race wandamensis is similar to nominate, but male belly black, female crown more rufous- brown, like back; meeki male is deeper black, female with less grey tinge; buergersi like previous, but female bright reddish- brown, especially on underparts; schistaceus male is more slaty black, female more grey- tinged below; harterti is like last, but female browner, less grey- tinged below.
Not Threatened
Male nominate race has body entirely slaty black, crown and side of head slightly darker, flanks slightly more slaty, remiges and rectrices blackish- brown; iris dark brown; bill and legs black. Female has crown ashy brown, forehead and lores slightly greyer, sides of face and neck tawny- brown, upperparts olive- brown, rump and uppertail- coverts slightly more reddish, remiges brown, edged chestnut on outer webs, wing- coverts washed reddish- brown, greater coverts with olive tinge, tail chestnut; throat ashy brown, underparts tawny- brown; iris umbre, bill blackish- brown, lower mandible sometimes paler, legs dark grey. Juvenile male is generally sooty greyish- brown to blackish with chestnut edges of feathers, including wing- coverts; immature male like adult but lighter, retains some juvenile wing- coverts, bill pale; immature female like adult, but retains some juvenile wing- coverts. Race wandamensis is similar to nominate, but male belly black, female crown more rufous- brown, like back; meeki male is deeper black, female with less grey tinge; buergersi like previous, but female bright reddish- brown, especially on underparts; schistaceus male is more slaty black, female more grey- tinged below; harterti is like last, but female browner, less grey- tinged below.
23 cm; 73- 86 g
Taxonomy: Rectes nigrescens Schlegel, 1871, Arfak Mountains, Vogelkop, New Guinea. Six subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * nigrescens (Schlegel, 1871) - Vogelkop (Tamrau Mts, Arfak Mts), in NW New Guinea. * wandamensis E. J. O. Hartert, 1930 - Wandammen Peninsula, in W New Guinea. * meeki Rothschild & E. J. O. Hartert, 1913 - mountains in W New Guinea (Weyland, Nassau and Oranje Ranges). * buergersi Stresemann, 1922 - EC New Guinea (Sepik Mts and Hindenburg Mts E to Mt Hagen). * harterti (Reichenow, 1911) - Huon Peninsula (Saruwaged Mts), in NE New Guinea. * schistaceus (Reichenow, 1900) - SE New Guinea E from Herzog Mts.
Inhabits lower montane forest, mainly at 1600- 2000 m, locally down to 1000 m and up to 2600 m.
Insects and fruit, occasionally seeds. Forages from ground to lower canopy, mainly in substage and middle stage. Gleans prey from foliage and ground.
Adult feeding young in mid- Sept, female with egg in oviduct in late Nov, and egg in late Dec. Nest a cup of fern fronds and fine rootlets, built high in tree. Clutch 1- 2 eggs, maroon- brown or deep pink (slightly buffish- tinged), spotted and blotched with light and dark brown and grey, or dark reddish- brown and purple, 32- 33,2 x 22,6- 23,7 mm. No other information.