Myzomela

Cardinal myzomela Myzomela pulcherrima, photographed by Josep del Hoyo.

Belongs within: Meliphagidae.

Myzomela is a genus of honeyeaters found in Indonesia, Australasia and western Oceania. Members of this genus are characterised by brilliant red and black colouration.

Characters (from Schodde & Mason 1999): Size small; plumage iridescent red and black; tongue with shallow medial furcation; tail short and square-cut; eggs white-based with reddish-brown spotting.

<==Myzomela Vigors & Horsfield 1827 [Myzomelidae] B94
    |--M. rosenbergii JT12
    `--+--+--M. eques JT12
       |  `--+--M. cineracea JT12
       |     `--M. obscura JT12
       |          |--M. o. obscura M03
       |          |--M. o. fumata M03
       |          `--M. o. harterti M03
       `--+--M. erythrocephala Gould 1839 JT12, WS48 [incl. M. erythrocephala derbyi Mathews 1912 WS48]
          |    |--M. e. erythrocephala M03
          |    `--M. e. infuscata M03
          `--+--M. lafargei JT12
             `--+--M. cardinalis JT12
                `--M. sanguinolenta JT12

Myzomela incertae sedis:
  M. adolphinae JT12
  M. albigula JT12
  M. blasii JT12
  M. boiei JT12
  M. caledonica S13
  M. chermesina JT12
  M. chloroptera JT12
  M. cruentata JT12
  M. dammermani JT12
  M. dibapha FP64
  M. eichhorni JT12
  M. erythromelas JT12
  M. jugularis JT12
  M. kuehni JT12
  M. lifuensis S13
  M. malaitae JT12
  M. melanocephala JT12
  M. nigra Gould 1838 [incl. M. nigra westralensis Mathews 1912] WS48
  M. nigrita JT12
  M. pammelaena JT12
  M. pectoralis Gould 1840 WS48
  M. pulchella JT12
  M. pulcherrima S13
  M. rubatra S13
    |--M. r. rubatra S13
    `--M. r. sanctaecrucis Sarasin 1913 S13
  M. sclateri FJO08
  M. tristrami JT12
  M. vulnerata JT12
  M. wakoloensis JT12

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B94] Bock, W. J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281.

[FP64] Fisher, J., & R. T. Peterson. 1964. The World of Birds: A comprehensive guide to general ornithology. Macdonald: London.

[FJO08] Fleischer, R. C., H. F. James & S. L. Olson. 2008. Convergent evolution of Hawaiian and Australo-Pacific honeyeaters from distant songbird ancestors. Current Biology 18: 1-5.

[JT12] Jetz, W., G. H. Thomas, J. B. Joy, K. Hartmann & A. Ø. Mooers. 2012. The global diversity of birds in space and time. Nature 491: 444-448.

[M03] Morcombe, M. 2003. Field Guide to Australian Birds, 2^nd ed. Steve Parish Publishing.

[S13] Sarasin, F. 1913. Die Vögel Neu-Caledoniens und der Loyalty-Inseln. In Nova Caledonia: Forschungen in Neu-Caledonian und auf den Loyalty-Inseln. A. Zoologie vol. 1, Heft I (F. Sarasin & J. Roux, eds) pp. 1-78, pl. 1-3. C. W. Kreidels Verlag: Wiesbaden.

Schodde, R., & I. J. Mason. 1999. The Directory of Australian Birds: Passerines. CSIRO.

[WS48] Whittell, H. M. & D. L. Serventy. 1948. A systematic list of the birds of Western Australia. Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery of Western Australia, Special Publication 1: 1-126.