Mottled Berryhunter

The mottled berryhunter is a small songbird, measuring 15 to 16.5 cm (5.9–6.5 in) in length and weighing between 24–29 g (0.85–1.02 oz). The plumage varies by sex, with the male having a grey forehead, with the feathers tipped in white, and crown with a dull rufous face and white lores. The neck is olive-brown, as are the other upperparts. The chin is rufous and the breat yellowish white with dusky tips. The female has a more pronounced rufous face and extensive streaking in the crown, and the underparts are lighter with more pronounced edging.

The mottled berryhunter is endemic to the island of New Guinea, where it is found in montane forest from 820–2,900 m (2,690–9,510 ft), most typically 1,500–2,550 m (4,920–8,370 ft). It principally occupies primary forest, but will occupy secondaty forest as well. The species is not thought to be migratory, and is uncommon across its range.

The mottled berryhunter is a poorly studied species and little is known about its habits. The species feeds on small berries, as its name suggests, but also insects. All that is known about the timing of its breeding is that males in breeding condition have been collected in July. Its nest is a cup woven into small branches on the edge of a tree, 4 m (13 ft) off the ground. The nest is constructed from plant tendrils and mosses, and measures 13 to 14 cm (5.1–5.5 in) across and has a depth of 10 to 11 cm (3.9–4.3 in).