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Acanthizidae
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Gerygone
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Plain Gerygone Gerygone inornata Scientific name definitions

Phil Gregory
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2007

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

c. 10 cm. A very small gerygone, with pale eyes contrasting with dark lores and ear-coverts. Plumage is greyish-brown above, with dark lores, narrow white supraloral streak to just above eye, dark brownish ear-coverts; tail blackish with pale outer tips; white below; iris yellow, white or orange; bill dark grey; legs grey. Sexes alike. Juvenile is washed pale yellow below.

Systematics History

Sister to G. olivacea, based on DNA data (1). Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Sawu, Roti, Semau (2), Timor, Atauro (3) and Wetar, in E Lesser Sundas.

Habitat

Primary and secondary monsoon forest, woodland, scrub and mangroves, from sea-level to 2500 m in W Timor.

Movement

Resident.

Diet and Foraging

Poorly known. Insectivorous. Seen singly, in pairs or in small groups, readily observed and confiding. Gleans actively from foliage in middle storey and lower canopy. Often in mixed flocks with Arafura Fantail (Rhipidura dryas), Fawn-breasted Whistler (Pachycephala orpheus) and Streak-breasted Honeyeater (Microptilotis reticulatus).

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song a constantly repeated melodious descending cadence of 16–18 clear notes delivered in pairs, “poo-pii, pee-pee, po-po, po-pu”, duration c. 4 seconds, and described as structurally similar to a rapid peal of church bells; may sing almost continuously for as long as 10 minutes. Short “upu-pu-po” call also noted.

Breeding

No information. Likely to be parasitized by Little Bronze-cuckoo (Chalcites minutillus) on Timor and Wetar, but as yet unproven.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Timor and Wetar EBA. Widespread and common in all wooded habitats on Timor; common on Wetar. Subject to local loss of habitat as a result of clearance and degradation; possibly also due to fires during dry periods.
Distribution of the Plain Gerygone - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Plain Gerygone

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Gregory, P. (2020). Plain Gerygone (Gerygone inornata), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.plager1.01
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