Cardinal myzomela

The cardinal myzomela (Myzomela cardinalis) is a species of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. It is named for the scarlet color of the male. It is found in American Samoa, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, as well as some islands in Micronesia such as Yap. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mangrove forest.[1] It frequents areas with flowers, such as gardens. This is a small, active bird, measuring about 13 cm (5.1 in) from bill to tail.[2] Males are red and black in coloration, females are grayish-olive, sometimes with a red cap or red head. Its long, curved bill is especially adapted for reaching into flowers for nectar.[3] Cardinal myzomela populations have vanished from the island of Guam since the invasion of the brown tree snake.[4]

Cardinal myzomela
M. c. tenuis, Vanuatu
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Meliphagidae
Genus: Myzomela
Species:
M. cardinalis
Binomial name
Myzomela cardinalis
(Gmelin, 1788)

References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Myzomela cardinalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Pratt, H. Douglas; et al. (1987). The Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-02399-9.
  3. Craig, P. "Natural History Guide to American Samoa" (PDF). National Park of American Samoa, Department Marine and Wildlife Resources, American Samoa Community College. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  4. "Extinctions and Loss of Species from Guam: Birds". U.S. Department of the Interior. Archived from the original on 2012-01-11. Retrieved 2012-09-24.


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