From Opus

Alternative names: Lowland Jewel-babbler; Lowland Eupetes; Lowland Rail-babbler; Blue Scrub-thrush

Ptilorrhoa caerulescens

Includes: Dimorphic Jewel-babbler

[edit] Identification

22 - 23cm.

• Most of the plumage blue
• White chin to upper breast bordered by black band from lores through face and across breast
• Black bill and legs
• Nigricrissus with a narrow white eyebrow
• Geislerorum with a dull greyish-brown crown

Females are similar to males but smaller and a bit more white. Females of geislerorum are very different to males. The blue is replaced by with chestnut-brown.

[edit] Distribution

Endemic to New Guinea.
Common but hard to see.

[edit] Taxonomy

Four subspecies recognized:

• P. c. caerulescens on West Papuan Islands (Salawati, Misool) and northwest New Guinea (Vogelkop to Wanggar and Etna Bay)
• P. c. neumanni in north New Guinea (from River Mamberamo to Astrolabe Bay)
• P. c. nigricrissus in south New Guinea from River Wanggar and Etna Bay to Milne Bay
• P. c. geislerorum in northeast New Guinea (from Adelbert Mountains east to Collingwood Bay)

Geislerorum is sometimes accepted as full species, Dimorphic Jewel-babbler (or Brown-capped Jewel-babbler).

[edit] Habitat

Moist lowland forest up to 300m. Above replaced by Chestnut-backed Jewel-babbler.
Geislerorum is found up to 800m, locally even 1220m where it co-exists with Chestnut-backed Jewel-babbler.

[edit] Behaviour

Feeds on insects.
Forages on the ground. Shy, more often heard than seen.
Breeding recorded in September and December. The nest is a deep cup made of dead leaves and palm fronds. It's placed on the ground in a depression between roots or at the base of a small tree. Lays 2 eggs.
Resident species.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553422

• List of references

[edit] External Links