Wattled Ploughbill

The Wattled Ploughbill, Eulacestoma nigropectus is a small, approximately 14cm long, olive-brown songbird with a strong, thick, wedge-shaped black bill, used to plough into dead tree branches, bark and twigs in search for its insects diet. The sexes are different. The male has black underparts, black wings and a large circular pink wattle on the cheek. The female has olive green plumage and pale olive below. Only the adult male has wattles.

The only member of the monotypic genus Eulacestoma, the Wattled Ploughbill is distributed and endemic to central mountain ranges of New Guinea. The diet consists mainly of insects.

Widespread throughout its large range, the Wattled Ploughbill is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

See also

• Crested Shrike-tit

References

• Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Christie D. (editors). (2007). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 9788496553422

External links

• BirdLife Species Factsheet
• IUCN Red List