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Melanesian flycatcher

The Melanesian flycatcher (Myiagra caledonica) is a species of bird in the monarch-flycatcher family Monarchidae. The species is found on islands in Melanesia.

Taxonomy and systematics

It is closely related to the Vanikoro flycatcher. Alternate names for the Melanesian flycatcher include broad-billed flycatcher, Caledonian flycatcher, Caledonian Myiagra flycatcher, Melanesian broadbill, Melanesian Myiagra, New Caledonian flycatcher and New Caledonian Myiagra flycatcher. The alternate name "broad-billed flycatcher" should not be confused with the species of the same name, Myiagra ruficollis.

Subspecies

Five subspecies are recognized:

  • M. c. caledonica - <small>Bonaparte, 1857</small>: Found on New Caledonia
  • M. c. viridinitens - <small>Gray, GR, 1859</small>: Originally described as a separate species. Found on the Loyalty Islands
  • M. c. melanura - <small>Gray, GR, 1860</small>: Originally described as a separate species. Found on southern Vanuatu
  • M. c. marinae - <small>Salomonsen, 1934</small>: Found on northern and central Vanuatu
  • M. c. occidentalis - <small>Mayr, 1931</small>: Originally described as a subspecies of the Vanikoro flycatcher. Found on Rennell Island (south-eastern Solomon Islands)

Description

The species is long and weighs . The plumage is sexually dimorphic, with the male having glossy blue-black feathers and a white underbelly, whilst the female has dark feathers and a red throat, along with a white eye-ring.

References