A cryptic new species of the honeyeater genus Myzomela has been described by a global crew of ornithologists from Malaysia, India, the UK and america.
The Babar myzomela (Myzomela babarensis). Picture credit score: James A. Eaton.
Myzomela is the biggest and most geographically widespread genus within the honeyeater household Meliphagidae.
First described by naturalists Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield in 1827, it now accommodates over 40 scientifically acknowledged species.
Myzomela ranges from Indonesia to Australia and into the islands of the Pacific Ocean so far as Micronesia and Samoa.
Members of the genus are colorful, nectar-eating birds. They’re an vital part of island ecosystems and infrequently make up a number of the most ample cover birds throughout japanese Indonesia.
In new analysis, BirdLife Worldwide ornithologist Alex Berryman and colleagues carried out a taxonomic revision of three populations of a species referred to as the Banda myzomela (Myzomela boiei).
“We investigated the taxonomy of Myzomela boiei, a colourful, sexually dimorphic honeyeater distributed in two subspecies throughout three island teams within the Banda Sea, southern Maluku province,” the researchers defined.
“Myzomela boiei boiei happens on the Banda Islands, whereas Myzomela boiei annabellae happens on Babar (and presumably its satellites) and the Tanimbar Islands (recorded from at the least Yamdena and Selaru, and possibly all through).”
“With the addition of Damar, the Leti Islands, Kisar and different small islets between them, these islands comprise the ‘Banda Sea Islands,’ a area of comparatively low avian range however predictably excessive endemism.”
The authors examined 28 museum specimens and 21 sound recordings of Myzomela boiei, and likewise carried out 152 playback experiments.
The specimens had been supplied by the American Museum of Pure Historical past, New York, and the Pure Historical past Museum, Tring.
The sound recordings had been collated from xeno-canto.org and the Macaulay Library, and by contacting sound-recordists who had visited related islands.
“In comparison with Myzomela boiei annabellae, Myzomela boiei boiei has a c.10% longer wing, invoice and tarsus, extra intensive black breast-band, duskier posterior underparts, and a extremely divergent track; in playback experiments, Myzomela boiei boiei proved unresponsive to recordings of Myzomela boiei annabellae,” the scientists stated.
“Nonetheless, the songs of Myzomela boiei annabellae on the Tanimbars and Babar are additionally extremely divergent, with populations on each islands unresponsive to the track of the opposite.”
“Birds on Babar are additionally barely bigger than Myzomela boiei annabellae on the Tanimbars (with a c.10% longer tail) and should have extra scarlet on the again.”
Named Myzomela babarensis (widespread identify is the Babar myzomela), the newly-described species is endemic to Babar, maybe together with the island’s 5 small satellites.
“Myzomela boiei is at present listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Pink Checklist,” the researchers stated.
“Whereas the proposed division of Myzomela boiei into three range-restricted species would possibly ostensibly counsel that every could possibly be at a heightened threat of extinction, all populations are extremely adaptable to habitat degradation and are widespread inside their respective ranges.”
“Myzomela babarensis happens in all method of wooded habitats, together with ‘degraded agricultural land,’ so its inhabitants might be largely unaffected by ongoing forest degradation on Babar.”
“We advise that Myzomela boiei, Myzomela annabellae and Myzomela babarensis are greatest thought-about Least Concern.”
The crew’s paper was printed within the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Membership.
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Alex J. Berryman et al. 2025. A taxonomic revision of Banda Myzomela Myzomela boiei (S. Müller 1843), together with the outline of a brand new species from Babar Island, Indonesia. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Membership 145 (1): 35-48; doi: 10.25226/bboc.v145i1.2025.a4
