A cryptic new species of the honeyeater genus Myzomela has been described by an international team of ornithologists from Malaysia, India, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Babar myzomela (Myzomela babarensis). Image credit: James A. Eaton.
Myzomela is the largest and most geographically widespread genus in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae.
First described by naturalists Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield in 1827, it now contains over 40 scientifically recognized species.
Myzomela ranges from Indonesia to Australia and into the islands of the Pacific Ocean as far as Micronesia and Samoa.
Members of the genus are colorful, nectar-eating birds. They are an important…