Slaty-chinned Longbill Toxorhamphus poliopterus Scientific name definitions

12·5 cm; 14–15 g. A small passerine with a long, dark, strongly decurved bill and a dark head. Male nominate race has head and nape dark bluish-grey, upperparts dark olive-green; upperwing and tail dark grey, outer tail feathers narrowly tipped white; chin and upper throat slaty grey, prominent citrine-yellow spot on lower throat, underparts pale yellowish-olive; iris red-brown or dark brown; bill black; legs slate-blue, dark olive-grey or dusky brown. Distinguished from T. novae­guineae by dark head, grey wings and citrine throat spot; readily told from superficially similar female of Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) by grey head, lack of yellow supercilia, much longer and more decurved bill, and forest-dwelling habits. Adult female is similar to male, but smaller and paler. Immature undescribed. Races differ marginally in intensity of coloration and size; maximus is slightly bigger than nominate.

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Primary forest in hills and lower mountains, also secondary growth and edges of gardens in forest; recorded also at forest edge in highlands and in scattered trees in mid-mountain grassland. Occurs mostly from c. 500 m to c. 2000 m but altitudinal limits vary; can occur as low as 300 m and as high as 2450 m. Occurrence influenced by lower altitudinal limits of favoured forest habitats, and presumably by competition with T. novaeguineae, which seems to be absent inland from Port Moresby (where present species occurs down to 300 m) and erratic in occurrence at Tabubil, in Western Province (where present species found irregularly down to c. 500 m); both species occur at c. 1200 m at Baiyer R (in Central Highlands), but probably separated there by altitude, with present species somewhat higher up.

Resident; no movements reported.

Diet poorly known; feeds on arthropods and nectar. Tends to be shy and hard to see; responds to playback of taped song, but always very active and very wary, and seldom perches for long in one place. Darts about swiftly. Forages mainly in understorey and middle levels, and visits canopy to exploit flowering trees; frequently observed in the substorey, feeding from flowers of wild gingers (Zingiberaceae) and a white lily-like species. Usually seen singly.

Heard more often than seen; varied vocalizations, some of which reminiscent of a sunbird (Nectariniidae) in quality. Song seems to be variable, generally sweet and slurred, with disyllabic notes and repeated single notes; one song reported as being very similar to that of Scrub Honeyeater (Microptilotis albonotatus). Calls include a sweet “tsip”, a “tsee-tsee tsee-tsee” series, also a dry scold, and an incisive slightly metallic “chik” that can be extended into distinctly syllabized scolding series, which seems to function as an alarm; one flight call is a disyllabic sneezing series similar to that of Oedistoma iliolophus.

Breeding recorded in May, Jun, Aug and Oct in highlands and in Apr and Sept at Sogeri Plateau (near Port Moresby), suggesting a wide range of local timing including late wet season to early dry season, but varying with local conditions. Nest is a distinctive neat, smoothly finished cup of fine greenish vegetation and fibres, interwoven with spider webs and externally decorated with spider egg sacs, lined with thick layer of white plant down, sited in crotch of sapling, or on slender branch (with base of nest built around branch); one was at 1·8 m over a forest stream, another was 2·7 m up in a vine stem growing from a small tree in partly cleared forest. Nests containing 1 white egg recorded, but these may represent incomplete clutches. No other information available.

Not globally threatened. Fairly common to common, but elusive; occupies large range in New Guinea, in widely distributed habitat, but absent from Vogelkop. Often common at the higher altitudes; reported as being the most abundant bird species on Mt Karimui between 1200 m and 1700 m, where it comprised c. 9% of the total avifauna.