Bismarck Honeyeater Vosea whitemanensis Scientific name definitions

22·5 cm; female 42–49 g. Head and neck are olive-brown, slightly darker on forehead, lores and ear-coverts, with narrow pale grey (faintly yellow-tinged) eyering and area of bare skin below and behind eye, very faint pale speckling on ear-coverts, and faint and fine paler streaking on malar region, chin, throat and side of neck; upperbody ­olive-brown, blackish-brown scapulars, faint dark olive scalloping on mantle and upper back, and yellowish-brown tinge on lower back to uppertail-coverts; uppertail blackish-brown, yellowish-olive central rectrices and outer edges of rest of rectrices (folded tail appearing largely yellowish-olive); upperwing blackish-brown, prominent yellowish-olive outer webs of secondaries, yellowish-olive outer edges on all except outer few primaries, and yellowish-olive outer webs and tips of coverts (folded wing appears largely yellowish-olive; spread wing blackish-brown with conspicuous large yellowish-olive patch across remiges); underbody olive-brown with faint, fine pale streaking on upper breast (as chin and throat), merging into slightly paler and yellow-tinged rear flanks, vent and undertail-coverts; undertail dark grey; underwing-coverts dull greyish-brown, tinged yellowish, remiges dull grey; iris dark brown; bill black; legs dark grey. Sexes alike in plumage, female slightly smaller and somewhat duller than male (doubtfully distinguishable in field). Juvenile undescribed.

New Britain (Whiteman Mts, Nakanai Mts and Mt Talawae), in Bismarck Archipelago.

Primary montane forest; observed in urban gardens at Keravat. From 900 m to above 1740 m, mainly above 1300 m.

No information.

Diet includes nectar and arthropods. Forages in middle and upper levels, e.g. seen to probe long red-and-yellow mistletoe flowers (Loranthaceae) c. 8 m above ground in subcanopy. Highly active, moving abruptly and jerkily, staying at a spot for only a few seconds before moving 20–40 cm to another, either hopping along branches or suddenly taking flight. Often acrobatic, hanging vertically with head down, or hanging with body horizontal and head turned downwards, or hanging with body horizontal and twisting head almost 180 degrees to axis of body to reach upwards; grips bark with feet and claws. Also flattens and extends body to peer forwards when searching. Usually singly, occasionally in small numbers in flowering trees; sometimes associates with other species, such as Philemon cockerelli.

Song of 3–8 soft, mellow, whistled 2-note syllables (at rate of c. 1·4 syllables per second), first note of each syllable simple, second slightly lower in pitch, trilled or uneven and downslurred (likened to song of Melidectes fuscus, but considerably shorter).

No information.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near-threatened. Restrictedrange species: present in New Britain and New Ireland EBA. Generally widespread and common to uncommon; common around Mt Talawae, but uncommon to very uncommon in other parts of range. Considered potentially at risk as it is undergoing very slow decline in area of forest habitat.