Black-capped Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera nigriceps Scientific name definitions

30–48 cm, including tail-streamers; 43–74 g (nigriceps). Medium-sized forest kingfisher, with red bill  and extremely long white-and blue tail (all white in one subspecies), and adult also has black head , nape and scapuars, glossy blue wings and outer rectrices, white mantle, rump and central rectrices, and orange-buff underparts; iris black, bill bright orange and legs and feet dull orange. What are probably females (or immatures) can show blue on tail-streamers. Juvenile has more black and blue on shorter tail, brown bill, blue tips to nape feathers, rufous tips to wing-coverts, buff mantle and black fringes to feathers of underparts. Race nigriceps has black cap and scapulars, paler below, longer tail grey-blue except for white shafts (in male 87–102 mm excluding streamers, 71–102 mm in female), inner webs and tips of central feathers, and legs dull yellow (1 Fry, C. H., K. Fry, and A. Harris (1992). Kingfishers, Bee-eaters and Rollers. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) to orange (2 Bishop, K. D., and D. N. Jones (2001). The montane avifauna of west New Britain, with special reference to the Nakanai Mountains. Emu 101(3):205–220. Close ); <em>leucura</em> similar, but has completely white tail (93–112 mm in male, 97–117 mm in female) (1 Fry, C. H., K. Fry, and A. Harris (1992). Kingfishers, Bee-eaters and Rollers. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Found in lowland and hill forest , especially at edges and in secondary forest, provided there is a dense midstorey (though usually perches in understorey); recorded to 1640 m on New Britain, but commonest in lowlands.

In New Britain (nigriceps), a rising series  of usually 5–7 mournful chipring notes, uttered at a regular rate over 2–3 seconds; on Umboi (leucura) gives a rising and falling series of chirps, accelerating to trill up to seven seconds long. Frequently cocks tail while vocalizing. Rarely calls during heat of day, but frequently vocalizes early morning and fairly often in late afternoon.

Poorly known. Laying dates May, Jun and possibly Dec (when excavating nest) in New Britain. A nest-hole in New Britain was 5 m above ground in a tree. No further information, although most aspects of breeding ecology are presumably similar to those of T. sylvia.

Not globally threatened. Locally common in parts of its range, e.g. Nakanai and Whiteman Mts in New Britain (2 Bishop, K. D., and D. N. Jones (2001). The montane avifauna of west New Britain, with special reference to the Nakanai Mountains. Emu 101(3):205–220. Close ), and both races leucura and nigriceps are common in lowland forest, including heavily degraded forest; although declining as a result of the large-scale deforestation on New Britain, they do not appear to be threatened.