Alternative name: Sumba Honeyeater
- Myzomela dammermani
Identification
11 cm.
Male
- Dark red hood, sharply demarcated from blackish rest of upperbody
- Narrow, clear-cut black loral stripe extending in thin ring around eye
- Dark red rump and uppertail-coverts
- Blackish mantle and upperwings with diffuse fine ashy-grey pale panel on folded wing
- Blackish uppertail
- Broad blackish band across breast and upper flanks, grading into paler grey-black on rest of underbody
- White underwing with dark grey trailing edge and tip
- Black bill, dark grey to blackish-brown legs
Female
Undescribed, however field observations suggest that it's similar to the female of Red-headed Myzomela.
Distribution
Endemic to the islands of Sumba and Roti (off southwest Timor) in the Lesser Sundas (Indonesia).
A restricted range species, only recently recorded on Roti.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Forms a superspecies with Crimson-hooded Myzomela and Red-headed Myzomela and all three are sometimes considered conspecific.
Habitat
Mostly found in deciduous primary forest, often at forest edge. Also recorded in evergreen forest with Acacia.
Claims that its habitat are mangroves and adjacent vegetation are apparently incorrect.
Occurs from lowlands up to 930 m or more.
Behaviour
Diet
Details unknown.
Usually seen foraging in middle storey to canopy of forest, singly, in pairs or small groups of up to seven birds.
Breeding
No information.
Movements
A resident species. Some local movements possible to exploit flowering plants.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved September 2014)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Sumba Myzomela. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 March 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Sumba_Myzomela