Alor myzomela


The Alor myzomela is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae, the honeyeaters. It is endemic to the Indonesian island of Alor, where it is the only representative member of the genus Myzomela. It is named after Dewi Malia Prawiradilaga, an ornithologist at the Indonesian Institute of Science and one of the first leading female Indonesian ornithologists.

Taxonomy

It closely resembles and is most closely related to the crimson-hooded myzomela of the adjacent island of Wetar. However, it noticeably differs in its calls and morphology.

Distribution

The Alor myzomela is restricted to a few montane areas of Alor Island, where it lives in Eucalyptus woodlands primarily composed of white gum and Timor mountain gum, as well as wattles and sheoak. This restricted distribution is in contrast to its close relative M. kuehni, which is among the most common birds on its islands; this difference may be due to the different habitat requirements of the two species.

Diet

They have been observed feeding on the fruit of Himalayan chokeberry in small groups along with ashy-bellied white-eyes. They also feed on the flowers of Eucalyptus alba, as well as occasionally insects.

Threats

This species is at high risk due to its severely restricted and fragmented distribution, which is compounded by the growing human population on the island. Thus, it has been proposed that the species be classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.