Edolisoma incertum
The Black-shouldered Cicadabird (Edolisoma incertum) is a captivating mid-sized passerine, typically measuring between 20 to 25 centimeters in length. Males are striking, featuring a dark grey body beautifully contrasted by prominent, glossy black shoulders, wings, and tail, sometimes revealing a subtle white bar on the primaries in flight. Females present a slightly duller and paler grey plumage, often with a brownish wash and occasionally faint barring on the lower flanks or undertail-cover...
This species primarily inhabits undisturbed lowland and lower montane rainforests, forest edges, and tall secondary growth, favoring dense tropical environments. It typically occurs at elevations ranging from sea level up to 1,000 meters.
It is predominantly insectivorous, feeding on a variety of arthropods, with a significant dietary focus on cicadas. Small fruits are also occasionally consumed to supplement its insect diet.
The Black-shouldered Cicadabird is a generally arboreal and somewhat elusive bird, typically encountered singly or in pairs high within the forest canopy. It employs an active foraging strategy, gleaning insects and other arthropods from foliage and bark, with a particularly noted preference for ...
The Black-shouldered Cicadabird is an endemic resident of the island of New Guinea, where its distribution spans both the Indonesian provinces of West Papua and Papua, and the independent nation of Papua New Guinea. It is broadly distributed across the main island within suitable forest habitats,...
Least Concern
- Its common name, 'Cicadabird,' directly highlights its specialized diet, skillfully extracting cicadas from the forest canopy. - This species was recently moved from the genus *Coracina* to *Edolisoma*, a significant update reflecting deeper taxonomic understanding of cuckoo-shrikes and cicadab...