Animalia Life

Orthonyx novaeguineae
TAXONOMY
Orthonyx novae guineae Meyer, 1874, Arfak Mountains, New Guinea. Three subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Orthonyx de Nouvelle Guinйe; German: Neuguineaflцter; Spanish: Corretroncos de Nueva Guinea. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS 7.3 in (18.5 cm); female 0.10–0.13 lb (47–58 g), male 0.12–0.17 lb (53–75 g). Similar to southern longrenner.
DISTRIBUTION
Scattered localities in mountains of New Guinea between 6,500–9,300 ft (1,980–2,840 m), probably up to 11,300 ft (3,450 m); occurs locally as low as 3,900 ft (1,200 m) in Irian Jaya. O. n. novaeguineae: northwestern New Guinea; O. n. dorsalis: western central New Guinea; O. n. victoriana: eastern New Guinea.
HABITAT
Mainly upper montane forest.
BEHAVIOR
Terrestrial. Quiet, cryptic, and easily overlooked. Usually seen in pairs or small parties of three or four birds. Song is series of four to six descending notes.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Scratches in ground litter for insects and other invertebrates.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
The nest is a small dome of moss, root fibers, and plant stems, about 5 in (12.5 cm) wide placed on the ground. Nests with a single white egg found in March and November.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Generally scarce to rare, although not considered a threatened species.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

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