BIRDS of THE WORLD - An Online Bird Book
BERRYPICKERs and LONGBILLs
Order Passeriformes Family Melanocharitidae
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
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
