Black-bellied Myzomela Myzomela erythromelas Scientific name definitions

9–10 cm; male 7–9 g, female 6·5–7·5 g, mean of 46 unsexed birds 8 g. Tiny short-tailed honeyeater. Male is striking, wholly black, except for scarlet hood marked with narrow black loral stripe continuous with narrow black eyering; underwing sooty black, silvery grey panel across bases of remiges; iris dark brown; bill black; legs grey to blue-grey, soles yellow. Female is slightly smaller than male, largely plain olive, a little paler below, with red mask covering forehead, forecrown, anterior ear-coverts, malar area and chin and throat, lores dusky; tail dark brown; bill blackish with paler basal third of lower mandible, gape said to be yellowish, rest of bare parts as for male. Juvenile undescribed; immature said to resemble adult of respective sex, but no further information.

New Britain, in Bismarck Archipelago.

Primary forest, forest edge and secondary growth, and fairly common in clearings and gardens; in Whiteman Range recorded in lowland and high tropical rainforest. Lowlands and foothills, to c. 900 m. Replaced at higher altitudes by M. cruentata.

No information; probably resident, with local movements to exploit flowering of foodplants, this supported by obvious fluctuations in local numbers.

Nectar, probably also small arthropods. Forages mainly in outer foliage of crowns of trees, but lower at forest edge and in secondary growth; seen to forage also in flowering vines. Usually in small parties in flowering trees, but sometimes in large congregations; in Whiteman Mts, large numbers foraging with other species in crowns of flowering trees in rainforest; at Mt Uali, seen to forage with M. cineracea and M. cruentata.

Calls include rapid “tsi-tsi-tsi…”, fine, thin, squeaky notes, and a seesawing call, all three likened to calls of Black Sunbird (Leptocoma aspasia).

Fledged juveniles seen in early Jul. Nest an open cup, one suspended in dense tendrils of vine. No other relevant information.

Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in New Britain and New Ireland EBA. Locally common to fairly common. Widespread and common in W New Britain, and abundant in Whiteman Mts.