Clicking Shieldbill / Lowland Peltops

The Lowland Peltops, Peltops blainvillii, is a striking black and white flycatcher-like bird in the family Rhipiduridae endemic to the lowland and foothill forests of New Guinea, including both Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua. The species inhabits humid lowland rainforest, forest edges, and riparian forest from sea level to approximately 1,000 meters elevation. It is a boldly patterned bird with glossy black upperparts, white underparts, a bright red bare facial patch, and a distinctive white rump visible in flight. The Lowland Peltops is typically found in the forest interior or at forest edges, often perching prominently on exposed branches or dead snags from which it makes sallies to catch insects in flight or on substrate surfaces. The species is usually encountered singly or in pairs and joins mixed-species foraging flocks. Its diet consists primarily of insects and arthropods. The common name 'clicking' refers to vocalisations that include sharp clicking sounds. New Guinea's lowland forests, though still largely intact in many areas, face increasing pressure from logging, agricultural conversion, and mining. The species is currently considered of Least Concern given its large, mostly intact forest range across New Guinea.