The black pitohui (''Melanorectes nigrescens'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

in the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus of ''Melanorectes'' in the family

Pachycephalidae The Pachycephalidae are a family of bird species that includes the whistlers, shrikethrushes, and three of the pitohuis, and is part of the ancient Australo-Papuan radiation of songbirds. The family includes 64 species that are separated into f ...

. It is found throughout the highlands of

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

is subtropical or tropical moist lowland

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

Taxonomy and systematics

The black pitohui was originally described in the genus ''Rectes'' (a synonym for the genus '' Pitohui'') and re-classified to ''Melanorectes'' in 2013. Alternate names include black whistler and dusky pitohui.

Subspecies

The following six

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

are recognized: * ''M. n. nigrescens'' – (

Schlegel Schlegel is a German occupational surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Anthony Schlegel (born 1981), former American football linebacker * August Wilhelm Schlegel (1767–1845), German poet, older brother of Friedrich * Brad Schlege ...

, 1871): Found in northwestern New Guinea * ''M. n. wandamensis'' – (

Hartert Ernst Johann Otto Hartert (29 October 1859 – 11 November 1933) was a widely published German ornithologist. Life and career Hartert was born in Hamburg, Germany on 29 October 1859. In July 1891, he married the illustrator Claudia Bernadine E ...

, 1930): Found in Wandammen Peninsula (western New Guinea) * ''M. n. meeki'' – (

Rothschild Rothschild () is a name derived from the German ''zum rothen Schild'' (with the old spelling "th"), meaning "with the red sign", in reference to the houses where these family members lived or had lived. At the time, houses were designated by sign ...

, 1913): Originally described as a separate species in the genus '' Pitohui''. Found in west-central New Guinea * ''M. n. buergersi'' – ( Stresemann, 1922): Found in northern and east-central New Guinea * ''M. n. harterti'' – Reichenow, 1911: Originally described as a separate species. Found in northeastern New Guinea * ''M. n. schistaceus'' – (Reichenow, 1900): Found in southeastern New Guinea

References

black pitohui black pitohui Birds of New Guinea Taxa named by Hermann Schlegel black pitohui Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Pachycephalidae-stub