Spangled Honeyeater Melipotes ater Scientific name definitions

28·5–31 cm. Large honey­eater, and largest of genus (more than twice the mass of congeners) with short, rather stubby, slightly decurved bill and moderately long tail. Plumage is almost wholly satin-black , with bold bright yellow circumorbital patch with non-pendent lobes on lower lores at base of bill and below and behind lower rear edge of eye (yellow facial patch flushes bright red when bird agitated); dusky grey chin and uppermost throat; bold white spotting on most of under­body, sparse on lower throat and upper breast and heaviest in centre of lower breast and belly, spots varying from broad and almost chevron-shaped or crescent-shaped to small and triangular or rounded (variation possibly associated with wear); iris dark brown to red-brown; bill black or grey-black; legs blue-grey. Sexes alike in plumage, male probably larger than female. Juvenile undescribed.

Mountains of Huon Peninsula, in NE New Guinea.

Occupies montane forests and also tall secondary growth; recorded from c. 1200 m up to 3300 m.

No information; almost certainly sedentary.

Poorly known. Predominantly frugivorous. Mainly in canopy or subcanopy, foraging for fruit. Conspicuous. Usually singly or in twos (probably pairs); more sociable or less aggressive than congeners.

Typically quiet, but noisier than congeners. Calls  include repeated deep “chut chut”.

No information.

Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Adelbert and Huon Ranges EBA. Poorly known; considered generally common. Described as common above Satop in Nov 1992.