This small honeyeater occurs in foothill forest canopies and along forest edges. Males are black, while females are brown with reddish areas.
Males are uniformly glossy black. Females are dull brown, with reddish color on the forehead and throat.
It uses foothill forest canopies and edges. A 2006 Papua New Guinea tour report recorded one or two birds at Varirata.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.