Black-faced Monarch
Monarcha melanopsis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyMonarchidae (Monarch Flycatchers)
- GenusMonarcha (Typical Monarchs)
- SpeciesMonarcha melanopsis (Black-faced Monarch)
About the Black-faced Monarch
The black-faced monarch (Monarcha melanopsis) is a passerine songbird in the family Monarchidae found along the eastern seaboard of Australia, and also New Guinea (where most birds migrate to during the austral winter; May to August).
The black-faced monarch was originally described as Muscicapa melanopsis by Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1818 from a specimen collected in New South Wales. The species is now placed in the genus Monarcha that was introduced by the naturalists Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield in 1827. The specific name is from the Ancient Greek words melas "black" and ops "face". English naturalist William Swainson described it in 1823 as Muscipeta carinata, or "keel-billed flycatcher", unaware of Vieillot's earlier description. In his 1848 work The Birds of Australia, John Gould called it Monarcha carinata "Carinated flycatcher".
Australian amateur ornithologist Gregory Mathews described a paler specimen from Cape York as a distinct subspecies pallidus, though this was not recognised subsequently. "Black-faced monarch" has been designated as the official common name for the species by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC). Alternate... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Black-faced Monarch in Royal National Park
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Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black-faced Monarch in Royal National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-faced Monarch sighting in Royal National Park, based on 422 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black-faced Monarch in Royal National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Black-faced Monarch in Royal National Park in our monthly data.