Blue Jewel-babbler (Ptilorrhoa caerulescens) [XC23575]
by Sam Woods from Near Kiunga, Westen Province, Papua New Guinea (song)
Blue Jewel-babbler (Ptilorrhoa caerulescens) [XC604884]
by Phil Gregory from Karawari Lodge, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea (song, microphone noise)
Subspecies
Often treated as conspecific with Ptilorrhoa geislerorum, but the two show some altitudinal separation in area of co-existence in northern New Guinea (near Madang). They also differ in behaviour, vocalizations and female plumage.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
caerulescens (Temminck, 1835) - West Papuan Is (Salawati, Misool) and north-western New Guinea (Vogelkop east to R Wanggar and Etna Bay).
neumanni (Mayr & Meyer de Schauensee, 1939) - Northern New Guinea from R Mamberamo east to Astrolabe Bay.
nigricrissus (Salvadori, 1876) - Southern New Guinea from R Wanggar and Etna Bay east to Milne Bay.
geislerorum (Meyer, AB, 1892) - Eastern New Guinea. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Dimorphic Jewel-babbler (Ptilorrhoa geislerorum).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet