Blackwing monarch
| Blackwing monarch | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Monarcha frater | ||||||||||||
| PL Sclater , 1874 |
The black wing monarch ( Monarcha frater ) is a bird from the family of monarchs (Monarchidae). It occurs in northeast Australia and New Guinea.
The IUCN classifies the stock situation of this species as harmless ( least concern ). Several subspecies are distinguished.
features
anatomy
The black wing monarch reaches a body length of around 18 cm, of which 6.6 to 7.8 centimeters are on the tail. The beak is 20.3 mm long. The black wing monarch has a wing length of 71-82 mm and a wingspan of an average of 21 centimeters. The weight is between 19 and 27 g. A noticeable gender dimorphism is not present. The female is only slightly darker on the upper side of the body and slightly paler than the male on the underside of the body. The slight difference in color is only noticeable when both sexes can be observed at the same time.
Adult birds
The head, neck and chest are pale pearly gray, against which a black face mask stands out, which extends from the forehead over the reins, the chin and the upper throat. A light gray spring ring surrounds the narrow black orbital ring. The rest of the upper part of the body is pale pearl gray. However, some individuals have noticeable black dashes on the upper tail-coverts. The folded wings are predominantly black-brown.
The chest is light gray, the belly and flanks are orange-brown. The rump and the tail-coverts are of a slightly lighter orange-brown. The beak is pale blue-gray with a white tip and white beak sheaths. The iris is dark brown, the feet and legs are dark blue-gray.
Possible confusion
A greater resemblance to the black wing monarch exists only with the masked monarch . The black wing monarch can be distinguished from this by its darker wings and the lighter top of the body. The mask monarch, on the other hand, is dark blue-gray on the upper side of the body and on the front breast.
Distribution area and habitat
The black wing monarch is a widespread and common bird in the mountains of New Guinea and in the far northeast of Australia. The Australian range is limited to the island in the Torres Strait and the Cape York Peninsula .
The migration behavior of the black wing monarch has so far been little researched. The Australian population that breeds on the Cape York Peninsula moves away during the winter months. The reasons for the wintering are not yet known. The breeding populations in New Guinea, on the other hand, are considered resident birds .
The habitat of the black wing monarch is predominantly rainforest. However, it also occurs in more open eucalyptus forests. In New Guinea, the elevation ranges from 550 to 1550 meters. Occasionally, however, the black wing monarch is also spotted there in the lowlands.
Way of life
The blackwing monarch is an insect eater. It has not yet been clarified whether he also eats small vertebrates, seeds and fruit like the masked monarch.
Reproductive biology has not yet been conclusively investigated. It may breed from October to January. The nest has a wine glass-like shape and is made of fine strips of bark, fine tendrils, grass and cobwebs. The clutch consists of two to three eggs. No information is yet available about the breeding season and the nestling season.
literature
- PJ Higgins, JM Peter and SJ Cowling: Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds: Volume 7 Boatbill to Starlings, Part A: Boatbill to Larks . Oxford University Press, Melbourne 2006, ISBN 978-0-195-55884-5 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Handbook of the Birds of the World on Black Wing Monarch ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed on May 20, 2017
- ^ Higgins, Peter & Cowling: Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds: Volume 7 Boatbill to Starlings, Part A: Boatbill to Larks . P. 50.
- ^ Higgins, Peter & Cowling: Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds: Volume 7 Boatbill to Starlings, Part A: Boatbill to Larks . P. 53.
- ^ A b Higgins, Peter & Cowling: Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds: Volume 7 Boatbill to Starlings, Part A: Boatbill to Larks . P. 51.
- ↑ a b c Higgins, Peter & Cowling: Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds: Volume 7 Boatbill to Starlings, Part A: Boatbill to Larks . P. 52.
