Dicaeum geelvinkianum
Male nominate race has bright red crown, rump and uppertail-coverts, rest of upperparts very dark greenish, upperwing and tail dark brown, shoulder darker with slight bluish gloss; throat white; red patch on chest, rest of underparts olive[grey, pectoral tufts white, centre of belly yellowish-buff, bent and undertail-coverts yellowish; iris brown; bill and legs blackish. Female is similar to male, but lacks red on chest, is paler on belly. Juvenile is similar to female, but little or no red above, bill mostly pale. Races differ mainly in shade of red on dorsal surface, and extent of red below on male (folowing details refer to male unless otherwise stated): rubrocoronatum has vermilion crown and rump, rest of upperparts blackish, glossed purple and blue, with dark olive lower back, is more yellow below than nominate, has very small red pectoral patch, female slightly glossed blue on dark greenish-brown upperparts; rubrigulare differs from previous in having foreneck entirely red; albopunctatum differs from last in having white areas between red tip and dusky base of feathers of head, rump and uppertail-covers, and red pectoral patch extends over chin, throat and side of breast; setekwa is very dark olive-green above, with vent and undertail-coverts white or pink; maforense differs from previous in having dull dark red crown, rump and uppertail-coverts, and yelloeish vent and undertail-coverts; misoriense has much less red on breast than previous, and is duller above, with bright carmine rump; diversum has lighter, more scarlet, crown and uppertail-coverts than rubrocoronatum, is more steel-blue on upper surface (which has more of an olive tinge); centrale is larger than preceding race, slightly darker above, has more greyish breast and lighter flanks; obscurifrons is similar in size to last, but is greener on upperparts, darker below, and red on head and uppertail-coverts duller, more brownish-tinged; violaceum is similar to rubrocoronatum, but duller and lighter above, with purple-violet floss, and red of crown, rump and breast darker, underparts more grey, with greyish-olive abdomen.
Not Threatened
Male nominate race has bright red crown, rump and uppertail-coverts, rest of upperparts very dark greenish, upperwing and tail dark brown, shoulder darker with slight bluish gloss; throat white; red patch on chest, rest of underparts olive[grey, pectoral tufts white, centre of belly yellowish-buff, bent and undertail-coverts yellowish; iris brown; bill and legs blackish. Female is similar to male, but lacks red on chest, is paler on belly. Juvenile is similar to female, but little or no red above, bill mostly pale. Races differ mainly in shade of red on dorsal surface, and extent of red below on male (folowing details refer to male unless otherwise stated): rubrocoronatum has vermilion crown and rump, rest of upperparts blackish, glossed purple and blue, with dark olive lower back, is more yellow below than nominate, has very small red pectoral patch, female slightly glossed blue on dark greenish-brown upperparts; rubrigulare differs from previous in having foreneck entirely red; albopunctatum differs from last in having white areas between red tip and dusky base of feathers of head, rump and uppertail-covers, and red pectoral patch extends over chin, throat and side of breast; setekwa is very dark olive-green above, with vent and undertail-coverts white or pink; maforense differs from previous in having dull dark red crown, rump and uppertail-coverts, and yelloeish vent and undertail-coverts; misoriense has much less red on breast than previous, and is duller above, with bright carmine rump; diversum has lighter, more scarlet, crown and uppertail-coverts than rubrocoronatum, is more steel-blue on upper surface (which has more of an olive tinge); centrale is larger than preceding race, slightly darker above, has more greyish breast and lighter flanks; obscurifrons is similar in size to last, but is greener on upperparts, darker below, and red on head and uppertail-coverts duller, more brownish-tinged; violaceum is similar to rubrocoronatum, but duller and lighter above, with purple-violet floss, and red of crown, rump and breast darker, underparts more grey, with greyish-olive abdomen.
9 cm; 5.3-7.5 g
Taxonomy: Dicaeum geelvinkianum A. B. Meyer, 1874, Yapen Island, Geelvink Bay, New Guinea. Forms a superspecies with D. nehrkorni, D. erythrothorax, D. vulneratum, D. pectorale, D. nitidum, D. eximium and D. aeneum. Could perhaps be treated as conspecific with D. pectorale and/or D. nitidum. Other proposed races include simillimum (described from Hollandia, on N New Guinea coast) included in diversum, jobiense (Yapen I) merged into nominate, and pulchrium (Astrolabe Mts, in SE), merged with rubrocoronatum. Eleven subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * maforense Salvadori, 1876 - Numfor I (Geelvink Bay), in NW New Guinea. * misoriense Salvadori, 1876 - Biak I (Geelvink Bay). * geelvinkianum A. B. Meyer, 1874 - Yapen I and Kurudu I (Geelvink Bay). * diversum Rothschild & E. J. O. Hartert, 1903 - N New Guinea (Mamberano R to Humboldt Bay). * setekwa Rand, 1941 - SW New Guinea (S slopes of Snow Mts E to Noord R). * obscurifrons Junge, 1952 - WC New Guinea (Wissel L, to NE of Etna Bay). * centrale Rand, 1941 - WC New Guinea (Balim R Valley in Nassau Mts and Oranje Mts). * rubrigulare D’Albertis & Salvadori, 1879 - S New Guinea (Palmer Junction to mouth of Fly R). * albopunctatum D’Albertis & Salvadori, 1879 - lowlands of SC New Guinea (Merauke and Dagul R E to Daru I and Orioma R). * rubrocoronatum Sharpe, 1876 - SE New Guinea (W to upper Sepik R and Purari R, including Karkar I and Manam I). * violaceum Mayr, 1936 - D’Entrecasteaux Archipelago (Fergusson, Goodenough, Dobu), off SE New Guinea.
Forest canopy and edge, particularly around flowering and fruiting trees, also secondary growth, dense savanna, plantations and gardens. From sea-level to 1500 m raraly to 2350 m; race centrale above 1600 m.
Fruits, and possibly nectar and pollen, of mistletoes, and probably of other plants; large seeds also taken; also spiders. Forages in canopy and upper levels.
Laying recorded in Mar, Nov and Dec. Nest pear-shape, c. 100 mm long and 45 mm across, eith side entrance 17 mm wide near top, made from grey animal silk and reddish-brown strips from ferns, felted and well canouflaged; one recorded as suspended from short, slender Croton tree. Clutch 2-3 eggs, white. No other information.