The Iphis monarch, or Ua Huka flycatcher, is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is endemic to French Polynesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, and plantations.
Region
Marquesas Islands
Typical Environment
The species is restricted to Ua Huka in the northern Marquesas, occupying native dry and moist lowland forests, shrublands, and adjacent plantations. It tolerates secondary growth and uses forest edges and valleys where insect prey is abundant. Nests are placed in trees within relatively undisturbed patches, but birds will forage along trails and in agroforests. Key threats include rats and habitat degradation, so it persists best where predators are controlled and native vegetation remains intact.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 700 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Ua Huka flycatcher, this small monarch is confined to a single island in the Marquesas, making it highly vulnerable to habitat change and introduced predators. Males and females look strikingly different, a useful field clue in dense forest. Conservation actions focus on predator control and habitat management. It forages actively in the mid-canopy, often near forest edges and in mixed native–plantation mosaics.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick sallies from perches
Social Behavior
Usually encountered as pairs defending small territories year-round. Monogamous, with both sexes involved in nesting; the cup nest is placed on a horizontal branch or in a fork. Juveniles remain with parents briefly after fledging before dispersing to nearby habitat.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of clear whistles and short phrases, repeated at intervals from shaded perches. Calls include sharp chips and scolds when alarmed, especially near the nest.
Plumage
Sexually dimorphic; males are contrasting black-and-white while females are warm rufous-brown with paler underparts. Feathers are sleek, with a neat, tidy appearance typical of monarch flycatchers.
Diet
Primarily small insects and other arthropods, including beetles, flies, moths, and spiders. It gleans prey from leaves and branches and makes short aerial sallies to snatch flying insects. Foraging is focused in the mid-story and canopy but can extend to lower shrubs along edges.
Preferred Environment
Forages in native forest, mixed secondary growth, and plantation edges where insect densities are high. Often hunts along light gaps, stream margins, and trails within forest mosaics.
