Habitat
Dense forests in coastal areas of tropical and subtropical zones, including islands. Mainly rainforests and monsoon forests, but also in riparian forests, paperbark woodlands and mangroves, with a thick mid-strey and usually sparse ground-cover.
Habits
Singly, or in pairs, occasionally in small flocks, and often associated with other species of honeyeater, including Scarlet Myzomela (Myzomela sanguinolenta) and Red-headed Myzomela (Myzomela erythrocephala).
Food
Insects and nectar.
Voice
An obscure squeak, 'see-see'. A mournful whistle. High-pitched trilling, tzizzing, chatterings. Winnowing scoldings.
Dusky Myzomela (Myzomela obscura) [XC277660]
by J.V. Moore from Cairns, Queensland, Australia (call, song)
Dusky Myzomela (Myzomela obscura) [XC276044]
by Krzysztof Deoniziak from Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia (song)
Nest
Small, frail, cup-shaped, composed of rootlets, thin grasses and sometimes hair, suspended near the end of a leafy branch of a tree or bush.
Eggs (Guide)
2; slightly lustrous, white freckled with pale and dark rust-red, particularly at the larger end; oval; about 17 x 13 mm.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fed by both parents after fledging.
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Drab Myzomela (Myzomela blasii), White-chinned Myzomela (Myzomela albigula), Ruby-throated Myzomela (Myzomela eques) and Ashy Myzomela (Myzomela cineracea). Birds on Pulu Adi (south-western New Guinea) of uncertain racial identity and provisionally included in fumata.
Proposed subspecies munna from north-eastern Australia (Cape York, in northern Queensland) is synonymous with harterti.
The following 8 subspecies are recognised:
obscura Gould, 1843 - Coastal and subcoastal Arnhem Land, NT, including Tiwi Island.
fumata (Bonaparte, 1850) - In Torres Strait, and southern New Guinea.
harterti Mathews, 1911 - Coastal and subcoastal Queensland, south to Moreton Bay, north to Cape York Peninsula and southern and central Torres Strait.
mortyana Hartert, 1903 - Morotai, off northern Halmahera.
simplex Gray, GR, 1861 - Halmahera, Ternate, Tidore, Kasiruta, Bacan and Damar (Northern Moluccas). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Moluccan Myzomela (Myzomela simplex).
rubrotincta Salvadori, 1878 - Obi and Bisa, in northern Moluccas. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Obi Myzomela (Myzomela rubrotincta).
rubrobrunnea Meyer, AB, 1874 - Biak Island, in Geelvink Bay (North-western New Guinea). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Red-brown Myzomela (Myzomela rubrobrunnea).
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet