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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Monarchidae
  4. ›
  5. Monarcha
  6. ›
  7. Black-winged Monarch
Black-winged Monarch
Photo · Sharpe, 1882

BirdUp · Species

Black-winged Monarch

Monarcha fraterSclater, PL, 1874

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Monarchidae
Genus
Monarcha

At a glance

The Black-winged Monarch is a small bird, about 18 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
18 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Local
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Black-winged Monarch look like?

The Black-winged Monarch is a small bird, about 18 cm long.

The black-winged monarch is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is found in Australia and on New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
18 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Black-winged Monarch?

The Black-winged Monarch is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Black-winged Monarch eat?

The Black-winged Monarch feeds on terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

4 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Black-winged Monarch live in Australia?

The Black-winged Monarch is native to Australia, recorded across 3 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingNew Guinea and far north-east Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Vagrant
  • Breeding

5 regions recorded