Myzomela
Myzomela is a genus of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. It is the largest genus of honeyeaters, with 40 species, and the most geographically widespread. It ranges from Indonesia to Australia and into the islands of the Pacific Ocean as far as Micronesia and Samoa. Several species are named after the islands they were discovered or live on, and continued investigation is still increasing the number of species, both through discovery of new species and conclusion that former subspecies are actually distinct species.
Taxonomy
The genus was introduced by the naturalists Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield in 1827 with Meliphaga cardinalis as the type species. This is a junior synonym of Certhia sanguinolenta Latham (ornithologist)|Latham], 1801, the scarlet myzomela.The genus contained the following 41 species as of February 2025:
- Drab myzomela, Myzomela blasii – montane Seram, Boana and Ambon
- White-chinned myzomela, Myzomela albigula – Louisiade Archipelago
- Ashy myzomela, Myzomela cineracea – Umboi Island and New Britain
- Ruby-throated myzomela, Myzomela eques – Raja Ampat Islands and New Guinea
- Moluccan myzomela, Myzomela simplex – Morotai to Bacan Islands
- Red-tinged myzomela, Myzomela rubrotincta – Obi Islands and Bisa
- Biak myzomela, Myzomela rubrobrunnea – Biak
- Dusky myzomela, Myzomela obscura – south New Guinea and north, northeast Australia
- Red myzomela, Myzomela cruentata – New Guinea and New Britain
- Reddish myzomela, Myzomela erythrina – New Ireland and adjacent islands
- Papuan black myzomela, Myzomela nigrita – New Guinea
- New Ireland myzomela, Myzomela pulchella – montane New Ireland
- Wetar myzomela, Myzomela kuehni – Wetar
- Alor myzomela, Myzomela prawiradilagae – montane Alor Island
- Red-headed myzomela, Myzomela erythrocephala – coastal south New Guinea and north Australia
- Sumba myzomela, Myzomela dammermani – Sumba
- Rote myzomela, Myzomela irianawidodoae – Rote Island
- Mountain myzomela, Myzomela adolphinae – montane Bird's Head Peninsula, central north, central east, northeast and southeast New Guinea
- Banda myzomela, Myzomela boiei – Babar Islands and south Moluccas
- Taliabu myzomela, Myzomela wahe – Taliabu
- Sulawesi myzomela, Myzomela chloroptera – Sulawesi and satellites
- Bacan myzomela, Myzomela batjanensis – montane Bacan Islands
- Wakolo myzomela, Myzomela wakoloensis – montane Buru and Seram
- Scarlet myzomela, Myzomela sanguinolenta – central east Queensland to south Victoria
- New Caledonian myzomela, Myzomela caledonica – Grande Terre and Ile des Pins
- Cardinal myzomela, Myzomela cardinalis – Makira, Rennell Island, and Temotu, Vanuatu, and Loyalty Islands
- Samoan myzomela, Myzomela nigriventris – Savaii and Upolu and Tutuila
- Rotuma myzomela, Myzomela chermesina – Rotuma
- Micronesian myzomela, Myzomela rubratra – Mariana and Caroline Islands
- Sclater's myzomela, Myzomela sclateri – Karkar Island and islets off New Britain
- Bismarck black myzomela, Myzomela pammelaena – Bismarck Archipelago including Admiralty Islands and islets to west
- Red-capped myzomela, Myzomela lafargei – Buka Island to Isabel and satellites
- Crimson-rumped myzomela, Myzomela eichhorni – New Georgia group
- Red-vested myzomela, Myzomela malaitae – montane Malaita
- Black-headed myzomela, Myzomela melanocephala – Florida Islands, Savo Island and Guadalcanal
- Sooty myzomela, Myzomela tristrami – Makira, Ugi Island and Santa Catalina (or Owariki) and Owaraha (Santa Ana)
- Sulphur-breasted myzomela, Myzomela jugularis – Fiji
- Black-bellied myzomela, Myzomela erythromelas – New Britain
- Black-breasted myzomela, Myzomela vulnerata – Timor
- Red-collared myzomela, Myzomela rosenbergii – montane New Guinea
- Long-billed myzomela, Myzomela longirostris – montane Goodenough Island