Spectacled Monarch at nest.
Photo: Norman Chaffer Estate © Australian Museum
Distribution map of Monarcha trivirgatus
Map © Birds Australia Birdata
Spectacled Monarch
Scientific name: Monarcha trivirgatus
Family: Dicruridae
Order: Passeriformes
- Featured Bird Groups
- Small insect-eating birds
What does it look like?
Description
The Spectacled Monarch is blue-grey above, with a black face mask that extends across both eyes in a 'clover-leaf' pattern, rufous (red-orange) breast, white underparts and a black tail with white outer tips. Immature birds lack the black face and have a grey throat. The north Queensland subspecies albiventris has a rufous upper breast sharply defined from more extensive white underparts.
Similar species
The Spectacled Monarch resembles the Black-faced Monarch, M. melanopsis, and the Black-winged Monarch, M. frater, but these species differ in having a black face mask that does not extend across the eyes, and both lack the white underparts and white outer tail tips.
Where does it live?
Distribution
The Spectacled Monarch is found in coastal north-eastern and eastern Australia, including coastal islands, from Cape York, Queensland to Port Stephens, New South Wales. It is much less common in the south. It is also found in Papua New Guinea, the Moluccas and Timor.
Habitat
The Spectacled Monarch prefers thick understorey in rainforests, wet gullies and waterside vegetation, as well as mangroves.
Seasonal movements
Resident in Queensland to Rockhampton, summer breeding migrant further south.
What does it do?
Feeding
The Spectacled Monarch feeds on insects, foraging mostly below the canopy in foliage and on tree trunks or vines.
Breeding
The Spectacled Monarch builds a small cup nest of fine bark, plant fibres, moss and spider web in a tree fork or in hanging vines, 1 m - 6 m above the ground, often near water.
References
Pizzey, G. and Knight, F. 1997. Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Angus and Robertson, Sydney.
Simpson, K and Day, N. 1999. Field guide to the birds of Australia, 6th Edition. Penguin Books, Australia.