NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Fan-tailed Berrypecker
Melanocharis versteri (Finsch, 1876)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The fan-tailed berrypecker (Melanocharis versteri) is a species of bird in the family Melanocharitidae.
It is found in New Guinea.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
The female is darker-colored and bigger than the male, an unusual feature for a passerine (Kikkawa 2003).
Wikipedia contributors, Fan-tailed berrypecker; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:53:41.195986+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Melanocharis versteri (Finsch, 1876)
- Name authority
- (Finsch, 1876)
- Common name
- Fan-tailed Berrypecker
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Melanocharitidae
- Genus
- Melanocharis
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyMelanocharitidae Sibley & Ahlquist, 1985
- genusMelanocharis P. L. Sclater, 1858
- speciesMelanocharis versteri (Finsch, 1876)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Melanocharis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Obscure BerrypeckerMelanocharis arfakiana (Finsch, 1900) | MelanocharitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mid-mountain BerrypeckerMelanocharis longicauda Salvadori, 1876 | MelanocharitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black BerrypeckerMelanocharis nigra (R. P. Lesson, 1830) | MelanocharitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Streaked BerrypeckerMelanocharis striativentris Salvadori, 1895 | MelanocharitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Pristorhamphus versteri Finsch, 1876 Finsch, 1876 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=561035 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3Z894. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.