Bird Album
Lesser Melampitta
Melampitta lugubris Schlegel, 1871
43 gWeight
The lesser melampitta (Melampitta lugubris) is a medium-sized enigmatic terrestrial songbird of mountain forests of New Guinea.
Busiest months: July–August · Most records: Papua New Guinea, Indonesia
Where and when it's recorded
Lesser Melampitta has been recorded at 12 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Kumul LodgePapua New Guinea390 records
- Tomba & Murmur Pass [2400-2800m]Papua New Guinea178 records
- Highlands Hwy – above Ambua Lodge to Tari GapPapua New Guinea55 records
More places
- Rondon RidgePapua New Guinea53 records
- Tari GapPapua New Guinea46 records
- Ambua LodgePapua New Guinea36 records
- Arfak Mtns – German CampIndonesia23 records
- Mt Komonge RidgePapua New Guinea19 records
- Rondon Ridge LodgePapua New Guinea14 records
- Minggre Birdwatching HomestayIndonesia12 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The lesser melampitta (Melampitta lugubris) is a medium-sized enigmatic terrestrial songbird of mountain forests of New Guinea. It is the only species in the genus Melampitta. It is now classified (with the greater melampitta) in the family Melampittidae, but in some other sources it is variously considered close to or in the Orthonychidae (logrunners), Paradisaeidae (birds of paradise), Corcoracidae (Australian mud-nesters), Cnemophilidae (satinbirds) or Monarchidae (monarch flycatchers).
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Lesser Melampitta?
The Lesser Melampitta weighs around 43 g.
Where does the Lesser Melampitta live?
Its breeding range: Australasia: montane New Guinea. It is most often recorded in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
When is the best time to see the Lesser Melampitta?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July and August (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Lesser Melampitta endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Lesser Melampitta as Least Concern.
What does the Lesser Melampitta eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Lesser Melampitta in?
It belongs to the family Melampittas (Melampittidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Weight
- 43 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 83 mm
- Tail
- 60 mm
- Bill
- 21 mm
- Tarsus
- 38 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Australasia: montane New Guinea
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Melampittas Melampittidae
- Genus
- Melampitta
More from the family Melampittas
Greater MelampittaMegalampitta gigantea
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Nigel Voaden. ↗
Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.