Photo: Sharpe, 1882 / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-winged Monarch
Monarcha frater
Black-winged Monarch (Monarcha frater) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-winged Monarch (Monarcha frater) is a member of the Monarchidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 22 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 frater
Quick facts
- Weight
- 22 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Monarchidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-winged Monarch is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-winged Monarch is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Black-winged Monarch (Monarcha frater) is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU New Guinea and far ne Australia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 22 g, with a wing length of about 8.4 cm and a tail of around 6.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 227,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-winged Monarch?
The Black-winged Monarch is a small bird that weighs around 22 g.
Where does the Black-winged Monarch live?
The Black-winged Monarch is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU New Guinea and far ne Australia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Black-winged Monarch belong to?
The Black-winged Monarch (Monarcha frater) belongs to the Monarchidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-winged Monarch eat?
The Black-winged Monarch is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-winged Monarch migrate?
The Black-winged Monarch is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Black-winged 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-winged Monarch make?
1 real field recording of the Black-winged Monarch — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-winged Monarch's range?
The Black-winged Monarch has a mapped global range of about 227,000 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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