The newly-identified types comes from Ptilorrhoaa little bird genus within the household Cinclosomatidae.

Frequently called jewel-babblers, these birds are endemic to New Guinea.

“The jewel-babblers are a group of ground-dwelling, insectivorous passerines endemic to New Guinea and a couple of satellite land-bridge islands,” stated Australian Museum Research Institute ornithologist Iain Woxvold and associates.

“Plump and short-winged, they have a black mask, white throat or cheek spot and soft plumage that in a lot of types is patterned in blue and/or chestnut.”

“They are singing however shy birds of the forest interior, regularly heard than seen.”

“Four types are presently acknowledged, 3 of which inhabit the majority of New Guinea however segregate by elevation: the blue jewel-babbler (Ptilorrhoa caerulescensin the lowlands, the chestnut-backed jewel-babbler (Ptilorrhoa castanonotain the hills and lower mountains, and the spotted jewel-babbler (Ptilorrhoa leucostictain montane forest.”

“The 4th types, the brown-headed jewel-babbler (Ptilorrhoa geislerorumhappens in 2 commonly apart locations– in the hills and lowlands of northeast Papua New Guinea and a just recently found population (presumed to be this types) far to the west on Yapen Island.”

In 2017, Dr. Woxvold and his coworker, Leo Legra of Lihir Gold Limited, developed a biennial video camera trap tracking research study of ground-dwelling birds and mammals on Iagifu Ridge (uri [mount] urrissia in the regional Fasu language), a forested limestone anticline situated at the southeastern end of the Agogo Range in Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.

In their image collection, they observed an unique, undescribed kind of jewel-babbler.

“Over a duration of more than 1,800 cam days, 10 pictures of the bird were gotten in 3 series (trigger ‘occasions’) handled 2 cams that were separated by c. 600 m and an unsealed gain access to roadway,” they stated.

“In November 2018, we invested 8 days mist-netting and looking for the bird without benefit.”

“Camera trap tracking was duplicated in 2019, 2021 and 2024.”

“Overall, 94 photos (22 series) and 7 30-s videos (4 series) including a minimum of 3 to 6 birds were handled 11 video cameras covering a location of 16 ha.”

The evaluation of museum specimens and field photographic product verified that the birds the authors photographed stand out from all other recognized Ptilorrhoa kinds.

“Based on these findings, we propose that the birds photographed on Iagifu Ridge represent a brand-new types, which we name: the hooded jewel-babbler (Ptilorrhoa urrissia,” they stated.

Ptilorrhoa urrissia seems completely resident on Iagifu Ridge, birds having actually been photographed in each of 10 successive months (June-March) over a duration of 7 years.

The overall variety of the brand-new types found over the duration of tasting is most likely less than 10 birds.

“Jewel-babblers are usually observed as single birds, sets or in little household celebrations of 3 or 4,” the scientists stated.

“Available information suggest a comparable pattern of social company in Ptilorrhoa urrissia: duos were frequently photographed together and most records (all however 3 series of a single male) were gathered from a 7-ha location and possibly include an inactive set plus one offspring in each of 2 reproducing occasions.”

“We hypothesize that Iagifu Ridge might support part of an extremely fragmented population that inhabits separated low mountains that do not support Ptilorrhoa leucosticta of greater elevations,” they included.

“Potentially ideal websites might be limited to the location in between Mt Bosavi and Mt Karimui in southern Papua New Guinea.”

No tune plainly attributable to any Ptilorrhoa besides Ptilorrhoa castanonota has actually been heard on Iagifu Ridge by the group.

The brand-new types seems less singing than Ptilorrhoa caerulescens and Ptilorrhoa castanonota and behaviorally closer to Ptilorrhoa leucosticta in this regard.

“Jewel-babblers on Iagifu Ridge deal with a range of risks,” the researchers stated.

“Native predators validated present consist of a minimum of 3 marsupials– the New Guinea quoll (Dasyurus albopunctatusthe Woolley’s three-striped dasyure (Myoictis leucuraand several Murexia types– plus numerous bird predators consisting of the Papuan eagle (Harpyopsis novaeguineaethe gray-headed goshawk (Tachyspiza poliocephalaand the higher sooty owl (Tyto tenebricosaeach of which takes victim from the ground and might take in adult birds or their young.”

“Alien predators present an extra and possibly severe risk, especially to ground-nesting types such as jewel-babblers.”

“Domestic felines (Felis catuswere video camera caught on Iagifu Ridge on 3 events in 2021 and 2024.”

“Dogs (Canis familiarisare likewise routinely discovered at the website, either in the business of hunters or as free-roaming people and little packs.”

“Finally, environment modification presents a major danger to tropical montane birds, especially those with low dispersal capability that do not have access to greater elevations such as Ptilorrhoa urrissia at Iagifu Ridge.”

A paper about the discovery was released on November 26, 2025 in the journal Ibis

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Iain A. Woxvold et alA brand-new types of jewel-babbler (Cinclosomatidae: Ptilorrhoafrom the Southern Fold Mountains of Papua New Guinea. Ibisreleased online November 26, 2025; doi: 10.1111/ ibi.70016