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BERRYPICKERs and LONGBILLs

Order Passeriformes    Family Melanocharitidae

The Melanocharitidae, the berrypeckers and longbills, is a small bird family restricted to the forests of New Guinea. They have generally dull plumage but a range of body shapes. The berrypeckers are generally montane species, with only one, the black berrypecker, being found in lowland forest. In contrast the longbills live in lowland forests and low montane forests as well as on small islands around New Guinea. Among the berrypeckers there is a succession of species at different altitudes, with the black berrypecker being found in the lowlands, the mid-mountain berrypecker being found at lower altitudes (mid-montane) and the fan-tailed berrypecker being found near the treeline. The diet of the family is dominated by berries and small fruits. They build a cup nest, usually on a forked branch near the edge of a tree, out of fern scales and plant fibres bound neatly with insect or spider silk and ornamented with lichens.


Genus Melanocharis

Berrypicker, Black  Melanocharis nigra   Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1, 2) Katerina Tvardikova 3, 4) Geoff Jones
2, 3) Female 4) Male


Berrypicker, Fan-tailed  Melanocharis versteri   Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1, 2, 4) Katerina Tvardikova  3) David Cook
2) Female 3, 4) Male


Berrypicker, Lemon-breasted also  Mid-mountain Berrypicker   Melanocharis longicauda   Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1) Katerina Tvardikova  2) hbw.com


Berrypicker, Obscure  Melanocharis arfakiana   Found: New Guinea
The Obsure Berrypicker has drab olive colored plumage; with grayish wash to upperparts; pale colored bill.
Image by: 1) Katerina Tvardikova  2) Marcel Holyoak


Berrypicker, Spotted  Melanocharis crassirostris   Found: mountains of New Guinea
Image by: 1, 2) David Cook
1) Female 2) Male


Berrypicker, Streaked  Melanocharis striativentris   Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Katerina Tvardikova



Genus Oedistoma


Longbill, Plumed also  Dwarf Longbill  Oedistoma iliolophus  Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1, 2) Katerina Tvardikova


Longbill, Pygmy  Oedistoma pygmaeum  Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1) Katerina Tvardikova  2) hbw.ocm



Genus Toxorhamphus

Longbill, Slaty-headed  also  Gray-winged Longbill  Toxorhamphus poliopterus  Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1) Katerina Tvardikova  2) Gossipguy 3) mehdhalaouate


Longbill, Yellow-bellied  also  Green-crowned Longbill  Toxorhamphus novaeguineae  Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Katerina Tvardikova



PAINTED BERRYPICKERs

Order Passeriformes    Family Paramythiidae

The two painted berrypickers are colorful medium-sized birds which feed on fruit and some insects.


Genus Oreocharis - 1 species

Berrypicker,_Tit  Oreocharis arfaki Found: New Guinea
The male Tit Berrypicker has olive-green upperparts; yellow face; black rest of head; blue-grave upper-tail coverts; black throat, bib; orange rest of underparts with center of underparts darker. Female has gray face; olive-green crown; whitish throat, bib; plain gray rest of breast; yellow flanks; yellowish-white belly.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova  2) Jerry_Oldenettel  3) Francisco_Piedrahita



Genus Paramythia - 1 species

Berrypicker,_Crested  Paramythia montium  Found: New Guinea
The Crested Berrypicker has green upperparts; black crown, forehead, bib; whitish hind-crown; blue-gray nape, lower-breast; belly.
Image by: 1, 2) Katerina_Tvardikova  3) David_Cook  4) Pomfoto




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