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21

Black-faced Monarch

(Monarcha melanopsis)
Alternate name(s): "Black-faced Flycatcher", "Carinated Flycatcher", "Pearly-winged Flycatcher"
Size: 16-20 cm
Weight: 17-20 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Black-faced Monarch at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Black-faced Monarch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2020]

Frontal/ventral view of a Black-faced Monarch (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, NSW, March 2017]

Frontal/ventral view of a Black-faced Monarch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2020]

Near-frontal view of a Black-faced Monarch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale, QLD, November 2023]

Near-frontal view of a Black-faced Monarch looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale, QLD, November 2023]

Near-lateral view of a Black-faced Monarch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale, QLD, November 2023]

Lateral view of a Black-faced Monarch (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay North, East Gippsland, VIC, April 2013]

Lateral/ventral view of a Black-faced Monarch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a Black-faced Monarch looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale, QLD, October 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a Black-faced Monarch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale, QLD, November 2023]

Dorsal view of a Black-faced Monarch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barrington Tops NP, NSW, December 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Black-faced Monarch (photo courtesy of A. Campbell)
[Mount McEuen, QLD, April 2017]

Lateral view of a juvenile Black-faced Monarch (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, NSW, March 2017]

Lateral view of a juvenile Black-faced Monarch (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay North, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2017]

Lateral view of a juvenile Black-faced Monarch, now with its head turned (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay North, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Black-faced Monarch (photo courtesy of A. Campbell)
[Mount McEuen, QLD, April 2017]

There is a separate page showing an adult Black-faced Monarch feeding a dependent young.

Breeding information

Breeding season: Oct - Jan Eggs: 2 - 3 Incubation period: ? Fledging age: ?

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket Material: Casuarina leaves, moss, webs; very fine, hair-like lining Height above ground: 2 - 5 m

Black-faced Monarch incubating eggs (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay North, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2017]

Black-faced Monarch on its typical moss-coated nest (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay North, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2017]

Black-faced Monarch carrying material to apply the finishing touches to its nest (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay North, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2017]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 23 x 17 mm Colour: Off-white, with large brown speckles Shape: Tapered oval

Food, Diet

Like all other members of the Monarcha family, Black-faced Monarchs are insect hunters. They usually take them from foliage.

Frontal view of a Black-faced Monarch with its prey, a grasshopper (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay North, East Gippsland, VIC, April 2013]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

blkfmon_me_20231030.m4a (SE QLD) Contact calls © ME
blkfmon_me_20200927.m4a (N QLD) Contact calls © ME
blkfmon_art_20131210.m4a (SE QLD) Contact calls (Q&A) © ART
blkfmon_20160314.m4a (SE QLD) Contact calls (Q&A) © MD
blkfmon_me_20231030_2.m4a (SE QLD) ? © ME

More Black-faced Monarch sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.