Leptocoma aspasia (R.P.Lesson & Garnot, 1828)

Bishop, K. David, 2023, The avifauna of Biak Island, Papua, Indonesia with comments on status, conservation, natural history and taxonomy, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 143 (1), pp. 3-62 : 53

BLACK SUNBIRD Leptocoma aspasia #

Local name Man Ésu (Sansundi).

Range L. a. mysorensis Biak, Supiori, Owi (subspecies?); L. a. maforensis Numfor ; L. a. aspasia Adi, Yapen, Kurudu ; L. a. nigriscapularis Rani, Mios Num.

Status Endemic subspecies. L. a. mysorensis obtained by six collectors and seen by all recent visitors. Widespread and common in most wooded habitats. L. a. nigriscapularis collected by Ripley on nearby Rani ( Mayr & Meyer de Schauensee 1939); 6 August 2015: six on Rani (N. Voaden, eBird checklist S24512191). 13 January 1994: seen on Owi but not identified to subspecies (P. Gregory in litt. 2000). Mayr & Meyer de Schauensee (1939) remarked that it is ‘highly interesting and significant that this form [nigriscapularis] occurs so close (<29 km) from mysorensis .’