Alternative names: New Guinea Frilled Monarch; Frilled Monarch-flycatcher
- Arses telescopthalmus
Identification
15-16 cm.
Male
- Black top of head to below eye, black chin and glossy black upperparts
- White erectile ruff of white collar and side of neck, white scapulars, lower back and rump
- White underparts
- Fleshy blue eye wattle
- Pale blue-grey bill, blue-grey legs
Female
- Black crown and ear-coverts
- Orange-buff hindneck-collar
- Rich rufous-brown upperparts
- Orange-buff chin, throat and breast, paler belly
- Blue eye-wattle
Immatures are similar to females but duller. The subspecies differ mainly in the plumage of the females. Female harterti has a white belly, female lauterbachi has a pale rufous belly, female aruensis is duller and darker above as nominate, batantae is larger.
Distribution
Found on New Guinea and adjacent islands.
Common and widespread.
Taxonomy
Forms a superspecies with Frill-necked Monarch, Ochre-collared Monarch and Pied Monarch and was often considered conspecific with the first two.
Subspecies
There are 6 subspecies[1]:
- A. t. telescopthalmus:
- North-western New Guinea, Salawati and Misool islands
- A. t. batantae:
- Batanta and Waigeo islands (New Guinea)
- A. t. aruensis:
- Aru Islands (New Guinea)
- A. t. lauterbachi:
- North coast of south-eastern New Guinea (Milne Bay to Huon Peninsula)
- A. t. harterti:
- Southern New Guinea (Mimika River to Purari River); Boigu Island
- A. t. henkei:
- Coastal south-eastern New Guinea (Hall Sound to Orangerie Bay) - other authorities treat this subspecies as an intergrade between harterti and lauterbachi
Habitat
Rainforest, gallery forest, forest edge and secondary growth.
Occurs in lowlands and hills up to 1500 m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on arthropods like crickets and grasshoppers.
A conspicuous species, usually seen singly or in pairs. Often acts as a core member in mixed-species flocks, with Spot-winged Monarch in the same flock.
Forages at mid-level and lower canopy. Gleans prey from leaves and branches, also feeds in dense thickets. Darts out with fanned tail after flying insects. Females usually higher up, making more aerial sallies than males.
Breeding
Breeding season varies with locality, probably an opportunistic breeder. A monogamous species, defending its territory all year. Erects its frill on hindneck when alarmed or displaying.
The nest is a miniature hanging cup made of loosely interwoven fine twigs and bound with spider webs. It's slung between hanging creepers or branches, often in a fairly open place, 2.4 to 12 m above the ground. Lays 2 eggs.
Movements
A sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved September 2016)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Frilled Monarch. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Frilled_Monarch
