Birds-of-paradise (Paradisaeidae)
Black Sicklebill (Epimachus fastosus) - HBW 14, p. 479
French: Paradisier fastueux
German: Breitschwanz-Paradieshopf
Spanish: Ave-del-paraíso Fastuosa
Other common names: Greater Sicklebill, Black Sickle-billed/Black Saber-tailed Bird-of-paradise, Greater Sicklebilled Bird-of-paradise
Taxonomy: Promerops fastuosus [sic] Hermann, 1783, Arfak Mountains, New Guinea.
Intergeneric hybridization with Paradigalla carunculata, Astrapia nigra and Lophorina superba recorded. Proposed race stresemanni (described from Schraderberg, in Sepik Mts) synonymized with atratus. Species name often listed as "fastuosus", the spelling first used in the scientific description; however, this spelling was explicitly corrected by original author on later page of same work. Three subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- fastosus ( Hermann, 1783) - Vogelkop (Tamrau Mts and Arfak Mts), in NW New Guinea.
- atratus ( Rothschild & E. J. O. Hartert, 1911) - mountains of Wandammen Peninsula, and C Cordillera E to Kratke Range, in E New Guinea.
- ultimus Diamond, 1969 - Bewani Mts (Menawa) and Torricelli Mts (Mt Somoro), in N New Guinea.
- Vulnerable Enlarge map
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juvenile male (or female?) perched
Locality Ambua Lodge, Tari Valley, Papua New Guinea (mainland), New Guinea (ssp atratus)
Nik Borrow 18 September 2005 1 year ago 3
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