Combinations of snowy pale grey and rich orange combined with black create an unusually compelling combination.

Meet the Black-winged Monarch

The black-winged monarch (Monarcha frater) is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. Adult birds have a vivid pale gray coloration above, as well as on the breast while wearing a rich shade of orange below on the lower breast and belly. They have black wings, a black face, throat, and tail. There is a speckling of black and white plumage on the lower throat and upper breast.

Male and female birds look very similar in appearance.

Juvenile birds lack the black coloring around the face adult birds have.

These birds are endemic to and found in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

These birds prefer natural habitats such as subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forested areas.

The diet of the Black-winged Monarch is not well known but thought to be mostly small to medium-size invertebrates.

Little is known about the breeding habits of this bird other than it occurs between August to January in New Guinea and October to March in North Eastern Australia (where there are very few records), and during the middle to late dry season and early wet season in the rest of their habitat in Australia.

Having a very large range this bird is regarded as of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Photo Courtesy of JJ Harrison / CC BY-SA 3.0