Distribution Map
Frill-necked Monarch
Arses lorealis
EndemicStatus
Fairly CommonRarity
Bird Gallery
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Species Description
The Frill-necked Monarch (*Arses lorealis*) is a small, visually distinctive flycatcher endemic to the rainforests of northern Cape York Peninsula, Australia. This species is recognised for its black-and-white plumage and unique ability to raise its neck feathers into a frill, giving it a dramatic appearance in the canopy of tropical forests.
Fun Facts
The male’s white collar can be fully raised into an impressive frill, making the bird appear larger and more conspicuous.
1. Puffy white collar (frill) that can be raised around the rear of the head
2. Broad blue fleshy eyering
3. All-white underparts with no breast band
The breeding season is from November to February, with one brood typically raised each year. Both sexes build a shallow cup-shaped nest from vines, sticks, spider webs, and plant material, often decorated with lichen. The nest is suspended on a hanging loop of vine, 2–1 meters above ground, away from the trunk or dense foliage. Two pink-tinged, white eggs with lavender and reddish-brown splotches are laid per clutch. Frill-necked Monarchs forage by moving up and down tree trunks and limbs, often fanning their tails and half-spreading their wings as they search for arthropods. They are resident year-round within their limited range, with only minor local movements.
Frill-necked Monarchs are found in tropical moist lowland and montane forests of northern Cape York Peninsula, from the tip southwest to Weipa and southeast to the Iron Range and Coen. They prefer primary rainforest, vine thickets, and riparian gallery forests, usually in the middle to upper canopy. Occasionally, they move into adjacent eucalypt woodland during the wet season.
Physical Attributes
Height
14 cm
Size Relative to Other Birds16%
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