New Britain Thrush Zoothera talaseae Scientific name definitions

23 cm. Adult has dark grey upperparts with black fringes, white spots on face, white eyering; large white tips of wing-coverts forming two broad wingbars, white tips of rectrices; white below, with black scaling on sides and flanks; iris dark; bill black; legs pinkish horn. Sexes similar. Juvenile undescribed.

Often considered to embrace Makira Thrush (Zoothera margaretae) and Guadalcanal Thrush (Zoothera turipavae), but differs from both significantly in plumage. Until recently considered conspecific with Bougainville Thrush (Zoothera atrigena) (which see). Monotypic.

New Britain and Umboi I, in Bismarck Archipelago.

Montane mist-forest; recorded at 580–1540 m on New Britain and 1300 m on Umboi.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Restricted-range species: present in New Britain and New Ireland EBA. Very secretive and little recorded; may prove to be genuinely rare, and evidence suggests that its total population may be small. The most recent, very tentative, estimate puts the number of mature individuals at c. 1500–7000. Known from four sites on New Britain itself. Only one record from Umboi I (Mt Birik). Although montane forest in its range appears secure, this species may be susceptible to introduced mammalian predators, particularly owing to its terrestrial habits; the potential threat of introduced predators, however, may be minimal, as this thrush’s congeners on Makira (San Cristobal), in S Solomon Is, have been seen to persist alongside a large feral cat population.