Dusky Myzomela
Myzomela obscura
- Family
- Honeyeaters (Meliphagidae)
- Order
- Passeriformes
Overview
The dusky myzomela or dusky honeyeater (Myzomela obscura) is a small, brown bird that is a common resident of the Aru Islands, southern New Guinea and northern and eastern Australia, where there are two separated populations, one in the Top End, another from Cape York Peninsula along the east coast as far south as the New South Wales border, though the species is rare south of Rockhampton. The Moluccan myzomela (M. simplex), red-tinged myzomela (M. rubrotincta), and Biak myzomela (M. rubrobrunnea) were formerly considered conspecific, but was split as distinct species by the IOC in 2021.
Around 12 to 15 cm (5 to 6 in) long, dusky myzomelas are dull-coloured but active and fast moving, often hovering to take insects or nectar from flowers in the upper storey. They inhabit a wide range of habitat types, including monsoonal forests and scrubs, woodlands, swamps and almost any area near water.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Countries
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Dusky myzomela
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.