Melampitta lugubris
The Lesser Melampitta (Melampitta lugubris) is a striking, medium-sized passerine endemic to the montane rainforests of New Guinea and its satellite islands. Measuring approximately 17-19 cm (6.7-7.5 inches) in length and weighing around 29-32 grams, this species is entirely glossy black, often exhibiting a subtle dark blue or purple sheen in good light, and possesses relatively long, strong legs adapted for its terrestrial lifestyle. Its most distinctive field marks are its uniform black plu...
Found primarily in mid-montane to upper montane rainforests and moss forests, typically at elevations between 1,100 and 3,500 meters (3,600-11,500 feet), occasionally descending to 600 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide range of invertebrates such as beetles, ants, crickets, and spiders, supplemented by small frogs and sometimes fruit, often foraging by gleaning and probing in leaf litter.
Lesser Melampittas are diurnal and primarily solitary or found in pairs, spending much of their time foraging on the dark forest floor. They employ a distinctive foraging strategy, actively hopping and running through leaf litter, probing with their stout bills to unearth invertebrates, often fli...
The Lesser Melampitta is endemic to the island of New Guinea and a few adjacent islands. Its primary distribution covers the extensive montane regions of both Papua New Guinea and Indonesian Papua (formerly Irian Jaya). It is found throughout the central mountain ranges, including the Snow Mounta...
Least Concern
- The Lesser Melampitta's taxonomic classification was historically contentious, bouncing between families like Monarchidae (monarch flycatchers) and Orthonychidae (logrunners) before genetic studies confirmed its placement in its own unique family, Melampittidae. - Its family, Melampittidae, con...