Alternative name: Long-bearded Honeyeater
- Melidectes princeps
Identification
26.5-28.8 cm.
- Black brown head, neck and upperparts
- Orange small patch of bare skin behind eye
- Long, tufted white feathers covering chin and throat, forming long beard
- Dark olive-brown underparts, scalloped with grey-brown
- Long, slightly decurved black bill
- Pale grey to pale blue-grey legs
Sexes similar. Juveniles not fully described.
Distribution
Mountains of east-central New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.
A very poorly known restricted-range species. Fairly common in its small range.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Forms a superspecies with Short-bearded Melidectes and is sometimes placed in the genus Melionyx.
Habitat
Found in high mountain moss forest and woodlands. Also in shrubland and scrubby forest thickets in alpine grassland.
Occurs mainly at 3000 to 3800 m, but recorded up to 4200 m and as low as 2750 m.
Behaviour
Diet
No information available.
Breeding
Few informations. Nestling found in late July, a dependent fledgling in mid-June.
Movements
Presumably a sedentary 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/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2014)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Long-bearded Melidectes. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 31 May 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Long-bearded_Melidectes
