Lesser Melampitta

Lesser Melampitta
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	see text
Genus:	Melampitta
Species:	M. lugubris
Binomial name
Melampitta lugubris Schlegel, 1871
Subspecies
Melampitta lugubris longicauda Melampitta lugubris lugubris Melampitta lugubris rostrata

The Lesser Melampitta, Melampitta lugubris, is a medium-sized enigmatic terrestrial songbird of mountain forests of New Guinea. It is now classify as a member of the family Orthonychidae (logrunners) by Birdlife International, but in some other sources it is variously considered close to or in the Paradisaeidae (birds of paradise), Corcoracidae (Australian mud-nesters), Cnemophilidae (satinbirds) or Monarchidae (monarch flycatchers)^[1].

A local name, by the Ketengban people of the Jayawijaya Mountains, is golík^[2]

It is approximately 18 cm long and has an all-black plumage with long legs and short tail. Both sexes are almost similar, distinguished by the color of the iris. The male has crimson red iris while female's dark brown.

The Lesser Melampitta builds dome-like nest in the forests. The diet consists mainly of insects.

Widespread and a common species throughout its habitat range, the Lesser Melampitta is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.^[3]

Footnotes

1. ^ Jønsson & Fjeldså (2006)
2. ^ Diamond & Bishop (1999)
3. ^ BLI (2004)

References

• BirdLife International (BLI) (2004). Melampitta lugubris. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 31 October 2006.
• Diamond, Jared & Bishop, K. David (1999): Ethno-ornithology of the Ketengban People, Indonesian New Guinea. In: Medin, Douglas L. & Atran, Scott: Folkbiology: 17-46. MIT Press. ISBN 026263192X
• Jønsson, Knud A. & Fjeldså, Jon (2006): A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds (Aves: Passeri). Zool. Scripta 35(2): 149–186. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2006.00221.x (HTML abstract)

External links

• BirdLife Species Factsheet
• IUCN Red List
• Subspecies listed at Worldtwitcher