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Symposiachrus
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White-breasted Monarch Symposiachrus menckei Scientific name definitions

Peter Clement
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2006

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

14·5–15·5 cm. A small pied monarch, mostly white with blackish face, wings and tail. Forehead and lores to around eye, chin and throat are black, rest of head and face white except for black spot on lower ear-coverts, and sometimes a narrow black line from crown side to nape side; upperparts white, upperwing black, irregular black and white lesser upperwing-coverts, median coverts mostly blackish, greaters mostly white; tail black, broad white edges on outer three feathers; underparts white; iris dark; bill and legs slate-blue. Sexes alike. Juvenile is similar to adult, but forehead, crown and upperparts and wings dark grey or blackish-grey with some feathers edged paler or whitish, tail usually with reduced white in outer feathers.

Systematics History

Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Mussau I, in St Matthias Group (N Bismarck Archipelago).

Habitat

Forest, including secondary and degraded forest areas and regrowth areas along sides of roads and large gardens.

Movement

Resident.

Diet and Foraging

Few data. Food mainly small invertebrates and larvae. Actively forages in undergrowth and lower storey of forest trees; flicks wings continually while foraging.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Loud harsh scolding notes and long quavering whistle, most similar to vocalizations of S. infelix.

Breeding

Begging juveniles recorded in Jul. No other information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife NT Near Threatened
Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near-threatened. Restricted-range species: present in St Matthias Islands EBA. Common. Potentially at risk as its tiny global range on Mussau is scheduled to be logged; if this species proves to be less than tolerant of highly degraded habitat, it may become threatened.
Distribution of the White-breasted Monarch - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the White-breasted Monarch

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Clement, P. (2020). White-breasted Monarch (Symposiachrus menckei), 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.whbmon1.01
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