Dusky Myzomela

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Taxonomy Treated as a species by Mayr & Meyer de Schauensee (1939) who stated that it was better to ‘ list this form as a good species, until the relationship … is better understood. ’ Mayr (1941) indicated uncertainty over treating it as a subspecies of obscura, by placing the species name in parentheses. Rand & Gilliard (1967) noted that the Biak population is very distinct, but maintained it as a subspecies of obscura. Del Hoyo & Collar (2016), however, treated this taxon as a species again, based on plumage and morphometrics. Beehler & Pratt (2016) preferred to await the results of molecular analysis before elevating this taxon to species. Status Biak endemic subspecies. Obtained by four collectors and recorded by c. 30 % of recent visitors. Ripley found it ‘ A shy, nervous species associating in flocks with other nectar eaters or occasionally in groups of two or more in vine-covered forest trees. ’ KDB too has found the species scarce and observed it infrequently, occasionally singles feeding quietly c. 6 m up at the forest edge. During the 1982 visit to southern Supiori KDB watched a small group foraging with a mixed-species flock in primary forest on limestone karst at c. 100 m elevation above Kuneff.