Appearance
Measuring 12.5 to 14 cm, the golden monarch displays marked sexual dimorphism. The male is a bright golden colour with sharply delineated black cheeks and throat, primary wing feathers and tail. It has a pale blue and black bill and dark brown iris, and a distinctive teardrop pattern of white feathers under the eye. The subspecies "pulcherrima" has a golden back, others have a black back. The female lacks the black colouring and is instead an olive-greenish with more yellowish underparts. It has black bill and the teardrop pattern under the eye.
Naming
There are nine subspecies recognized:⤷ "C. c. aruensis" - : Originally described as a separate species in the genus "Monarcha". Found in south-western New Guinea and Aru Islands
⤷ "C. c. melanonotus" - : Originally described as a separate species in the genus "Monarcha". Found on western Papuan islands and north-western New Guinea
⤷ "C. c. kordensis" - : Originally described as a separate species in the genus "Monarcha". Found on Biak
⤷ "C. c. aurantiacus" - : Found in northern New Guinea
⤷ "C. c. nitidus" - : Originally described as a separate species in the genus "Poecilodryas". Found in eastern and south-eastern New Guinea, Louisiade Archipelago
⤷ "C. c. pulcherrimus" - : Found on Dyaul Island
⤷ "C. c. chrysomela" - : Found on New Hanover Island and New Ireland
⤷ "C. c. whitneyorum" - : Found on Lihir Island
⤷ "C. c. tabarensis" - : Found on Tabar Island
Distribution
The golden monarch is found across New Guinea, and to the Aru Islands to the west, the D'Entrecasteaux Islands and the Bismarck Archipelago to the east, but not New Britain.Habitat
The preferred habitat is lowland rainforest or swamp forest to 700 m, or 1400 m in New Ireland. It stays mainly in the canopy, although may descend for water.Food
The golden monarch is insectivorous. It may be found in mixed-species foraging flocks with the yellow-bellied gerygone and Wallace's fairywren.References:
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