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White-eared Monarch (Carterornis [Monarcha] leucotis) Alternate name(s): "White-eared Flycatcher" Size: 13-14 cm Body mass: 11-17 g

Australia: Family Group 21 Family Group 21 Table White-eared Monarch Pied Monarch Frill-necked Monarch Black-faced Monarch Black-winged Monarch Spectacled Monarch Yellow-breasted Boatbill Broad-billed Flycatcher Leaden Flycatcher Satin Flycatcher Shining Flycatcher Restless Flycatcher Paperbark Flycatcher Rufous Fantail Arafura Fantail Mangrove Fantail Grey Fantail Northern Fantail Willie Wagtail Spangled Drongo Magpie-lark Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description White-eared Monarchs are the smallest Australian monarchs. Their plumage is all black-and-white. They have a pied head, with a black frons, cap and 3 black "spokes" pointing to the eye surrounding 3 white patches and the white throat. The front is all-white, the back is nearly all-black, except for some white on the wings. The undertail is also white. Bill, legs and feet are grey; the irises are dark. Females are a bit more greyish where males are black and the facial markings are less prominent. Juveniles have less colour contrast in their plumage, being light-grey where adults are white and dark-grey where adults are black.

Taxonomy, classification See White-eared Monarch at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the White-eared Monarch is available HERE . White-eared Monarchs are endemic to Australia. They are found only on or near the East coast of QLD, from near the tip of Cape York in the North to just South of the QLD/NSW border. White-eared Monarchs have a preference for (near-coastal) rainforest and mangroves in intertidal wetlands.

Sightings Click here for sighting information An immature White-eared Monarch was spotted by us at Byfield NP in coastal central QLD, in July 2009. More immature White-eared Monarchs were found by us at Bunya Mountains NP, QLD, at an elevation of 1100 m, and in Ravensbourne NP, QLD, in March 2016. E. Scott reports spotting a White-eared Monarch in Toonumbar State Forest, northern NSW, in November 2016. M. Eaton reports spotting White-eared Monarchs occasionally in various locations in near-coastal south-eastern QLD.

Photos

ADULT

MALE

Full-frontal view of a male White-eared Monarch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Forest Reserve, near Anstead, QLD, August 2017]

Frontal view of a male White-eared Monarch; note the characteristic black and white facial pattern (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Forest Reserve, near Anstead, QLD, August 2017]

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

Near-frontal view of a male White-eared Monarch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Forest Reserve, near Anstead, QLD, August 2017]

Near-lateral view of a male White-eared Monarch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2020]

Near-lateral view of a male White-eared Monarch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Regional Park, near Anstead, QLD, May 2017]

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

Near-dorsal view of a male White-eared Monarch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Regional Park, near Anstead, QLD, May 2017]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a female White-eared Monarch; note the characteristic grey and white facial pattern
(photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Toonumbar State Forest, northern NSW, November 2016]

Near-frontal view of a female White-eared Monarch, now with its head turned the other way (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Toonumbar State Forest, northern NSW, November 2016]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal/ventral view of an immature White-eared Monarch high up in the canopy of a tree; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 11 March 2016
[Bunya Mountains NP, QLD, March 2016]

Lateral view of an immature White-eared Monarch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dayboro, QLD, November 2019]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of an immature White-eared Monarch high up in the canopy of a tree; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 11 March 2016
[Bunya Mountains NP, QLD, March 2016]

Lateral view of a juvenile White-eared Monarch looking towards the observer
[Byfield NP, QLD, July 2009]

Lateral/ventral view of an juvenile White-eared Monarch
[Byfield NP, QLD, July 2009]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary

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.

wearmon_20160311.m4a	(Bunya Mts NP, QLD)	"Wolf whistle" calls (immature)	© MD
wearmon_20160311_2.m4a	(Bunya Mts NP, QLD)	? (immature)	© MD

More White-eared 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.