Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-faced Monarch
Monarcha melanopsis
Black-faced Monarch (Monarcha melanopsis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-faced Monarch (Monarcha melanopsis) is a member of the Monarchidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 22.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Monarchidae Monarchs
- Genus Monarcha
- Species melanopsis
Where it lives
Northeastern QLD (south of Cape York Pen.) to southeastern VIC (eastern Australia)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 22.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Monarchidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-faced Monarch is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-faced Monarch is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Black-faced Monarch (Monarcha melanopsis) belongs to the Monarchidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU ne QLD (s of Cape York Pen.) to se VIC (e Australia).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 22.7 g, with a wing length of about 8.9 cm and a tail of around 7.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 449,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-faced Monarch?
The Black-faced Monarch is a small bird that weighs around 22.7 g.
Where does the Black-faced Monarch live?
The Black-faced Monarch is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU ne QLD (s of Cape York Pen.) to se VIC (e Australia), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-faced Monarch belong to?
The Black-faced Monarch (Monarcha melanopsis) belongs to the Monarchidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-faced Monarch eat?
The Black-faced Monarch is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-faced Monarch migrate?
The Black-faced Monarch is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Black-faced Monarch endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black-faced Monarch make?
1 real field recording of the Black-faced Monarch — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-faced Monarch's range?
The Black-faced Monarch has a mapped global range of about 449,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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