The Ornate Melidectes is a honeyeater of New Guinea's mountains. A nominate-subspecies male has conspicuous yellow-orange bare skin around the eye and a white-scaled back, and searches for food in the canopy.
The nominate male has a dark brown-black head and neck, a dark mantle finely scaled with white, and vivid yellow-orange bare skin around the eye. A rufous eyebrow, pale mark behind the mouth, and small pink knob near the gape add facial detail. A white crescent crosses the throat; a rufous-buff band covers the chest and upper belly. Females are smaller and have duller facial skin.
It searches from the canopy to mid-level branches, probing foliage, epiphytes, banana plants, and flower corollas. Its food includes insects and larvae, nectar, and small fruits. It feeds alone or in groups of about three to six; activity starts early and peaks near dusk.
Adults of the nominate subspecies have blue-grey legs.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.