Alternative names: White-winged Flyrobin; White-winged Thicket-robin; White-winged Thicket-flycatcher; Black Flycatcher-robin
- Peneothello sigillata
Identification
14-15 cm.
- Velvety black plumage
- White patch on tertials
- Dark brown eye
- Black bill and legs
- saruwagedi is smaller with a smaller white patch
- hagenensis has a broader white patch
- quadrimaculata has additionally a white patch on each side of breast
Sexes similar. Juveniles are dark brown, paler on underparts and with pale buff, olive-brown or rufous shaft streaks on body feathers and upperwing-coverts.
Distribution
Endemic to the mountains of New Guinea.
Generally common in its range.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 4 subspecies[1]:
- P. s. quadrimaculata:
- Western New Guinea (Nassau and Snow mountains)
- P. s. saruwagedi:
- New Guinea (mountains of Huon Peninsula)
- P. s. hagenensis:
- Central New Guinea (highlands of Mount Hagen and Star Mountains)
- P. s. sigillata:
- Central Highlands and mountains of south-eastern New Guinea
Habitat
Moss forest in the mountains between 2400-3900 m, sometimes lower.
Replaced at lower elevations by Blue-grey Robin.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on insects. Takes also fruit and seeds.
Forages in lower levels of forest.
Breeding
They breed during September to January. A bulky nest is made of green moss, dried fern, and rootlets, placed in a tree fork. The single light-olive egg, is sparsely marked with brown.
Movements
Presumably a resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- 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
- BF member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) White-winged Robin. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-winged_Robin
