15th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Marquesan Fly-Catcher Juvenile in Mohotani Forest

This is juvenile marquesan fly-catcher, the first one I ever manage to see on Mohotani Island (uninhabited island). There is only 1 population in the world, on Mohotani. When the bird is less than 3 years old, it is cinammon coloured. If it a male, after 3 years, the feathers will turn entirely black. If it is a female, the back and the wings will turn black, while the stomach/chest becomes white. This is the only fly-catcher in French Polynesia that has a colour difference between the females and the males (the other 3 species also change colour from orange-cinammon colour to dark feathers after 3 years).

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2017
Date Uploaded: 10.2017
Photo Location: French Polynesia
Camera: Canon PowerShot SX700 HS
Copyright: © Adara Tehani Withers