Belford's Melidectes (Melidectes belfordi) [XC26158]
by Niels Krabbe from 7 corners, near Tari Gap, Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea (call, song)
Belford's Melidectes (Melidectes belfordi) [XC386303]
by Nikolaos Sarikakis from Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea (call)
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Vogelkop Honeyeater (Melidectes leucostephes), Yellow-browed Honeyeater (Melidectes rufocrissalis) and Huon Honeyeater (Melidectes foersteri) and all four, along with Cinnamon-browed Honeyeater (Melidectes ochromelas) and Ornate Honeyeater (Melidectes torquatus), comprise a group of relatively large species that differ from others in genus in size, morphology, plumage and voice. Sometimes treated as conspecific with Vogelkop Honeyeater (Melidectes leucostephes) and with Yellow-browed Honeyeater (Melidectes rufocrissalis). Co-occurs with Yellow-browed Honeyeater (Melidectes rufocrissalis) on Mt Koimjim (in Schrader Mts), but the two appear to exclude each other altitudinally. The two hybridize freely, however, where they come into contact; Herzog Mts, much of Eastern Highlands, Mt Goliath (in eastern Star Mts) and northern slopes of Snow Mts may once have supported both species, but hybrid populations now found extensively through these areas (although populations of northern slopes of Snow Mts are almost pure individuals of present species, with only a few Yellow-browed Honeyeater (Melidectes rufocrissalis) characteristics). Subspecies brassi and nominate subspecies may represent different species, as they occupy same geographical range but are separated altitudinally and appear not to intergrade. Further study is needed. Subspecies joiceyi and kinneari intergrade in western Nassau Mts (Wissel Lakes area). Proposed subspecies stresemanni (type from Dawong, in Herzog Mts) and griseirostris (type from Mt Goliath, in eastern Oranje Mts/western Star Mts) represent hybrids.
The following 6 subspecies are recognised:
belfordi (De Vis, 1890) - From about 3000 m to about 3800 m in mountains of south-eastern New Guinea (east from Bismarck-Hagen-Kubor Ranges).
joiceyi (Rothschild, 1921) - Weyland Mts and western Nassau Mts, in western New Guinea.
kinneari Mayr, 1936 - Snow Mts (including Nassau Mts and Oranje Mts), in western New Guinea.
schraderensis Gilliard & LeCroy, 1968 - Schrader Mts, in eastern New Guinea.
brassi Mayr & Rand, 1936 - From about 2000 m to about 2800 m in mountains of south-eastern New Guinea.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet