Alternative name: Dusky Honeyeater
- Myzomela obscura
Identification
13–15 cm (5-6 in)
- Dark grey brown upperparts
- Paler underparts
- Dark eye patch
- Black iris
- Brown legs and feet
- Downcurved black bill
Distribution
Asia and Australasia
Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Lesser Sundas, Moluccas
Australasia: Papua New Guinea, Australia: New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Melanesia
Taxonomy
It is a Meliphagidae (honeyeaters and allies) member of the passerine family.
Subspecies
There are 8 subspecies[1]:
- M. o. aruensis:
- Aru Islands (New Guinea)
- M. o. rubrobrunnea:
- Biak Island (New Guinea)
- M. o. fumata:
- Southern New Guinea (Vogelkop to Port Moresby), Boigu and Saibai islands (north Torres Straits)
- M. o. simplex:
- Northern Moluccas (Halmahera, Damar, Ternate, Tidore and Bacan)
- M. o. rubrotincta:
- Northern Moluccas (Obi and Bisa)
- M. o. mortyana:
- Morotai (northern Moluccas)
- M. o. obscura :
- Northern Territory (Melville and Bathurst is. and Arnhem Land)
- M. o. harterti:
- Northern and eastern Queensland (southern Torres Straits islands south to Noosa)
Habitat
Dense coastal, lowland rainforests and monsoon forests.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet consists mainly of nectar, with the addition of arthropods, spiders and other insects.
Breeding
They build a cup shaped nest from bark, leaves and spiders' webs. The clutch consists of 2 red-spotted white eggs.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- James Cook University
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved April 2016)
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Dusky Myzomela. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Dusky_Myzomela
