Alternative names: Scarlet-bibbed Myzomela, Red-bibbed Honeyeater
- Myzomela sclateri
Identification
10.5 to 12 cm.
Male
- Black-brown top and side of head and upper mantle
- Dark olive-brown rest of upperparts with paler olive-brown rump and uppertail-coverts
- Fine and diffuse olive fringes on median and greater upperwing-coverts, remiges with fine olive outer edges
- Bright red chin and throat
- Dark olive-brown upper breast, merging into dirty olive-buff on lower breast and to dirty cream to off-white on lower underbody (indistinctly streaked or mottled brownish grey)
- Dull greyish undertail
- Blackish eye, black bill, slate-grey legs
Female
- Smaller and drabber than male
- Brown to olive-brown head and upperparts with rufous-brown rump
- Pale olive-buff underparts
- Small indistinct red patch or wash on chin and side of throat
Juveniles undescribed, immatures like adult females.
Distribution
Endemic to Karkar Islands off northeast New Guinea and several small islands of Bismarck Archipelago (Crown, Long, Tolokiwa, Tamuniai, Umboi, Unea (Bali), Witu Group, islets in Kimbe Bay and off northern coast of New Britain, Talele, Watom and Credner Islands).
A common to abundant restricted-range species.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Habitat
Moist lowland forests and montanes. Occurs also in secondary growth and plantations.
From sea-level up to 1830 m. On Karkar mainly at 1000 to 1200 m, but also recorded in the lowlands.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on nectar, insects, fruits and flower parts.
Forages from the understorey to the canopy. Gleans, probes and sally-hovers. A noisy and active species, usually singly or in parties of up to 15 birds on a flowering tree.
Breeding
Breeding season on Karkar starts in May/June, a nest with young seen in mid-August on Witu. The nest is a cup, well concealed and suspended in low vegetation. One nest was 2 m above the ground in a clump of canegrass, another one 10 m above the ground in a coconut palm. No information on clutch size or incubation and nestling periods.
Movements
A resident species. Birds on Karkar may undertake some altitudinal movements.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved May 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Sclater's Myzomela. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 30 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Sclater%27s_Myzomela
