The avifauna of Biak Island, Papua, Indonesia with comments on status, conservation, natural history and taxonomy
Author
Bishop, K. David
text
Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club
2023
2023-03-06
143
1
3
62
journal article
298463
10.25226/bboc.v143i1.2023.a2
6028cf6b-e944-40d1-b774-7caa1c970409
2513-9894
11642130
805136AB-F3FE-4C77-85AC-E37423156B6D
BIAK LEAF WARBLER
Seicercus misoriensis
# RR, Vulnerable
Range
Biak, Supiori.
Taxonomy
Beehler & Pratt (2016) noted that the Biak taxon is very distinctive and split it as a separate species from nearby Numfor Leaf Warbler
S. maforensis
and mainland New
Guinea Island
Leaf Warbler
S. poliocephalus
.
Status
Endemic species. Obtained by two collectors but not Ripley (
Mayr & Meyer de Schauensee 1939
). Seen by very few visitors although eBird records indicate that since 2018 it has been regularly encountered in forest at Warafri in south-east Biak;
Gibbs (1993)
saw it near Korrido, Supiori, in 1991. The species has a notably long bill and legs, both of which are strikingly coloured (
Fig. 14
); the difference in biometrics from other leaf warbler taxa presumably relates to a difference in behavioral traits, which further study should seek to elucidate.