Great find by the folks up on Saibai, and a very unexpected sighting. This
species is actually rare and very poorly known, the call was not even known
until the mid-1990's and no-one had seen it for years, until it was discovered
at some sites along the Elevala River north of Kiunga, Western Province in the
19990's. It likes denser forest with lots of rattans, and may prefer slightly
wetter forest microclimates, than Common Paradise-Kingfisher, and it usually
perches lower down than that bird, which is quite often way high in the canopy.
The call is a low whistled ' hu hu hu" tremulous series, totally distinct to
the noisy rattle of Common PK.
The status in the lower Trans-Fly these days is basically unknown, I know of no
sightings and would be very pleased to hear if anyone has more information.
Certainly on various trips to Bensbach I have not found this bird, and I have
been listening for the call, which is usually the best way of finding it. What
is also interesting is that there are no records at all of wanderers, this
Saibai record is the very first. I suspect another cyclone driven bird, given
all the activity along the monsoon front of late. BirdLife International lists
this species as Data Deficient, meaning we have very little information about
it.
Brian Coates' Birds of Papua New Guinea is one of the great bird books of the
last century, a tour de force and a superb reference source, but do be aware
that names change with time, and some of Brian's coinings are not widely
accepted. All the major world checklists and Beehler's standard New Guinea
Field Guide go with Little Paradise Kingfisher, which is what i have always
called it in my time in PNG. Whatever you call it, it's certainly a most
unexpected record, I was fully anticipating it to be Common Paradise
Kingfisher, for the reasons outlined above!
Cheers
Phil Gregory
www. cassowary-house.com.au==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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