Tanahjampea Monarch

Symposiachrus everetti

The Tanahjampea Monarch (Symposiachrus everetti) is a striking, medium-sized passerine, measuring approximately 15-16 cm (6 inches) in length. Its plumage is a dramatic study in black and white, featuring a glossy black head, throat, upperparts, wings, and tail, sharply contrasting with a pristine white belly and vent. A distinctive white patch on the greater coverts of the wing is a key field mark, often visible even when perched. Taxonomically, it belongs to the Monarchidae family, a divers...

Habitat

This species primarily inhabits lowland moist forest, including both primary and mature secondary growth, as well as dense scrub and forest edge, typically at elevations up to 250 meters.

Diet

Their diet consists almost entirely of insects and other small invertebrates, including beetles, moths, caterpillars, and spiders, which they catch by gleaning from foliage or in aerial pursuits.

Behavior

Tanahjampea Monarchs are diurnal and highly active insectivores, often observed solitarily or in pairs. They forage actively in the mid-story and canopy, utilizing a combination of gleaning insects from foliage and performing aerial sallies, darting out from a conspicuous perch to snatch flying p...

Range

The Tanahjampea Monarch is strictly endemic to Tanahjampea Island (also known as Jampea or Tanah Jampea), a small island that is part of the Selayar Islands archipelago, located south of Sulawesi in the South Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. This species is non-migratory and maintains a resident p...

Conservation Status

Near Threatened

Fun Facts

- The Tanahjampea Monarch is a true island endemic, found only on Tanahjampea Island in Indonesia, making it a highly specialized species. - Its scientific name, *everetti*, pays homage to Alfred Hart Everett, a prolific British naturalist who collected specimens across Southeast Asia. - This spe...

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