White-winged Robin
Melanodryas sigillata
A fairly small bird of upper montane forest. An all black bird with an obvious white mark in the wing. Western birds also have a white mark at the shoulder. Perches low down, often on vertical, mossy trunks, scanning the ground for insects. Similar to White-rumped Robin but does not overlap in altitude. Also similar to Pied Bushchat of grasslands, but White-winged Robin is found in forest and lacks the white rump. Voice, a medium-pitch, descending trill and rasping notes.
Identification
Measuring 14 to 15 centimetres (5.5 to 5.9 in), the adult white-winged robin has black plumage, with largely white wings. The male and female are identical. The bill and feet are black, and the eyes are dark brown. Juveniles have a variable streaked brown plumage.
Taxonomy
Described by English naturalist, Charles Walter De Vis, in 1890, the white-winged robin is a member of the Australasian robin family Petroicidae. Sibley and Ahlquist's DNA-DNA hybridisation studies placed this group in a Corvida parvorder comprising many tropical and Australian passerines, including pardalotes, fairy-wrens, honeyeaters, and crows. However, subsequent molecular research (and current consensus) places the robins as a very early offshoot of the Passerida (or "advanced" songbirds) within the songbird lineage.<p>Within the species, three subspecies are recognised—the nominate subspecies, which is found on the main mountain range along New Guinea from the Bismarck Range eastwards, subspecies hagenensis from Mount Hagen west into Irian Jaya, and subspecies saruwagedi of the Huon Peninsula.
- Scientific name
- Melanodryas sigillata
- Authority
- (De Vis, 1890)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Petroicidae
- Genus
- Melanodryas
Range and habitat
The white-winged robin is found in the New Guinea Highlands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is found in the highlands of New Guinea at elevations of 2,400 to 3,900 metres (7,900 to 12,800 ft) and is replaced by the slaty robin at lower elevations.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Within the forest the robin is found in pairs or small troops of several birds in the understory or on the ground. It is insectivorous, but does also eat some seeds. The somewhat bulky cup-shaped nest is constructed in a tree fork.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
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Singing Parrot
Geoffroyus heteroclitus
A mostly green medium-sized parrot with a contrasting head, gray in females and yellow in males. Shows a blue underwing in flight. Inhabits lowland forest edge, including coconut plantations, parks, and gardens, up to at least 1750 meters of elevation. Bulkier than Cardinal, White-naped, Yellow-bibbed, and Purple-bellied Lories, with slower wingbeats, and lacks the mostly red color of those species. The similar Eclectus Parrot is larger with a bigger bill, and male is also green but has a red underwing. Singing Parrot’s voice includes a wide variety of harsh cries and a whistling bell-like song.
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