COMMON CICADABIRD Edolisoma tenuirostre #

Range E. t. meyerii Biak, Supiori; E. t. numforanum Numfor.

Taxonomy Del Hoyo & Collar (2016) treated Biak and Numfor birds as two species. These authors provided an assessment of the expanded Common (aka Slender-billed) Cicadabird E. tenuirostre species complex but stated the ‘situation is one of riddling complexity which molecular research has only partially resolved (and partially added to). New arrangement outline here attempts a plausible and consistent use of available evidence, but perhaps no more satisfactory.’ Nevertheless, the evidence they assembled for treating meyerii as a full species is compelling, however, until the entire group is thoroughly examined, we follow Beehler & Pratt (2016) in retaining the Biak and Numfor taxa as subspecies of E. tenuirostre .

Status Biak endemic subspecies. Obtained by five collectors but infrequently reported by visitors. Widespread but rather sparse in tall, well-developed secondary and primary forest.

Voice The song is a distinctive series of up to 50 medium-pitched notes, invariably uttered on a near-even pitch. Towards its end the series descends slightly in pitch and decelerates markedly over the last few notes. The quality is slightly nasal, not clear, almost with a buzzy quality (J. Diamond in litt. 1990; Woxvold & Bishop 2020).