Range: Mts. of se New Guinea (Herzog Mts. to Owen Stanley Range)
Charmosyna papou stellae
Description
there are red and melanistic (black) forms of this sub-species; red form as papou, but black to top of head extends to area behind eye and black band across neck; blue frontal edging is much broader; yellow patch to sides of body absent; lower sides to body also black; middle elongated tail-feathers initially green, becoming orange-yellow and with yellow tips; length of tail-feathers between 203 and 287 mm; larger.
Female as male, but lower back and lower flanks yellow.
Immatures with slightly duller plumage; black abdomen and thigh plumage interspersed with bluish-green; underside of secondaries with variable yellow band; tips of primaries not elongated and middle tail-feathers not much longer; yellow to lower back already present in young females; iris dark brown; feet greyish-pink.
Melanistic Form
all red plumage replaced by black; lower back, flanks and in some birds sides of breast and under tail-coverts with variable red marking; blue rump patch to lower back; upperside of lateral tail-feathers dark green, underside dusky yellowish-green. Female as male, but without red markings.
Immatures of both genders as female, but with variable red markings in lower parts.
Length: 45 cm; wing length: 134 - 151 mm.
Note: melanistic form is dominant and splits for red; red birds always produce red young; mixed pairs produce both red and black young; black pairs can have red young, but these have always been female up to now, suggesting a sex-linked inherited characteristic.
Location
mountains of southeast New Guinea west to Angabunga River and Herzog Mountains.
