Melionyx nouhuysi
The Short-bearded Honeyeater (*Melionyx nouhuysi*) is a striking, medium-sized passerine, reaching approximately 20-22 cm in length. Its plumage is uniformly sooty-black, providing a sleek, dark appearance that contrasts sharply with its vibrant facial markings. A prominent, bright yellow postocular patch, situated just behind the eye, serves as its most distinctive field mark, often appearing as a bold slash of color on its otherwise dark head. Closer inspection reveals a small, yellow brist...
Exclusively found in high-altitude montane and subalpine forests, moss forests, and forest edges, typically at elevations between 2,000 and 3,800 meters above sea level.
Primarily nectivorous, feeding on the nectar of flowering plants, supplemented by insects gleaned from foliage or hawked in flight, and occasionally small fruits or berries.
The Short-bearded Honeyeater is an active diurnal species, frequently observed foraging singly or in pairs, though small, loose groups may congregate at abundant food sources. Its foraging strategy is versatile, involving agile hovering at flowering plants to extract nectar with its brush-tipped ...
The Short-bearded Honeyeater is endemic to the high-altitude mountain ranges of New Guinea, its entire global distribution confined to this large island. Its range spans the Central Cordillera, extending across both the Indonesian provinces of West Papua and Papua New Guinea. Within this vast cor...
Least Concern
- The "short beard" that gives this honeyeater its name is actually a small tuft of yellow bristles located at the gape (corner of the mouth), often difficult to see without close observation. - Despite its dark, sooty-black plumage, the bright yellow postocular patch behind its eye is its most s...