Monarcha melanopsis
The Black-faced Monarch (Monarcha melanopsis) is a strikingly marked passerine bird endemic to eastern Australia and parts of New Guinea. Measuring 17-19 cm in length and weighing around 18-20g, its most distinctive feature is the prominent velvety black mask covering the forehead, lores, chin, and upper throat, contrasting sharply with its slate-grey upperparts and clean white underparts. Both sexes are similar, though females may exhibit a slightly duller black mask. Juveniles present a bro...
Found primarily in subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, wet sclerophyll forests, and rainforests, extending into adjacent eucalypt woodlands and riparian zones at low to moderate elevations, typically below 1000 meters.
Feeds predominantly on insects, including beetles, moths, caterpillars, flies, and ants, supplemented with spiders, primarily caught through gleaning and aerial sallying.
The Black-faced Monarch is a diurnal and active insectivore, typically observed singly or in pairs. Foraging involves agile maneuvers through the canopy and sub-canopy, where it gleans insects and spiders from foliage, hovers to snatch prey, and makes aerial sallies to capture flying insects. Dur...
The Black-faced Monarch is found across eastern Australia and parts of New Guinea. Its primary breeding range extends from the Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland, south along the coastal regions and the Great Dividing Range through eastern New South Wales, reaching as far as northeastern ...
Least Concern
- The Black-faced Monarch is a true master of aerial insect-catching, often performing acrobatic flips and turns to snatch prey mid-air. - Its distinctive black mask is so well-defined that it appears almost painted on, a key identifier among similar-looking monarch species. - Despite its common ...