Alternative names: Rufous-sided Streaked Honeyeater; Red-sided Honeyeater; Red-sided Streaked Honeyeater
- Ptiloprora erythropleura
Identification
17 cm.
- Leaden grey head and neck with fine and dense pale greyish speckling or scaling
- Dusky to blackish-brown upperparts with fine dull olive-grey streaking or scaling and olive-brown wash on rump and uppertail-coverts
- Pale leaden grey underparts with fine off-white to pale grey feather edges on breast and centre of belly giving a scaled or streaked effect
- Chestnut-brown flanks
- Red eyes
- Slightly decurved black bill, sometimes blackish-grey
- dammermani is darker grey below with darker brown flanks and dull pale green eye
Sexes similar, males are larger than females. Juveniles and immatures not well known but generally plumage more washed olive or creamy yellow to greenish-yellow, especially on underparts.
Distribution
Endemic to western New Guinea, Indonesia.
An uncommon restricted-range species, not well known.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies recognized:
- P. e. erythropleura in the mountains of Vogelkop Peninsula, northwestern New Guinea
- P. e. dammermani in the central mountain ranges of New Guinea
Formerly considered conspecific with Mayr's Honeyeater, Rufous-backed Honeyeater and Black-backed Honeyeater.
Habitat
Moist montanes and secondary growth.
Occurs at 1300 to 2800 m.
Behaviour
An active, confiding and conspicuous species. Usually seen in pairs or small groups.
Diet
Feeds on insects, nectar and fruit.
Forages usually in middle and upper levels of forest.
Breeding
No information available.
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) Rufous-sided Honeyeater. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 31 May 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Rufous-sided_Honeyeater
