Myzomela rosenbergii
Male nominate is striking glossy jet-black except for broad, brilliant scarlet collar covering all of hindneck, side of neck, throat and upper breast, continuous with scarlet mantle of uppwrbody has varying scattered black patches or mottling, and sometimes posterior uppertail-coverts wholly black, underwing sooty black with silvery grey-brown remiges, iris brown to blackish-brown, bill black, legs very dark grey to blackish-brown or black, soles yellow. Female is smaller than male, plumage very different, black brown above grading to blackish-brown on lores, malar area and chin and upper throat, diffuse and faint rufous-brown mottling on forehead and crown merging to more pronounced mottling or streaking on hindneck to back and scapulars, with scarlet-red lower rump and most uppertail-coverts, posterior uppertail-coverts and tail usually dark olive-brown to blck-brown, median and greater upperwing-coverts with rufous-brown, remiges with fine, slightly paler dark olive outer edges, extent of pale tips to vary, wing sometimes appear fairly uniformly blackish-brown, relieved only by pale tips of tertials, lower throat and upper breast red froming crescent-shaped patch, on some extending to centre of lower breast, rest of underbody rufous-brown, varying mottled blackish to dark brown throughout, underwing white with silvery grey-brown trailing edge and tip, legs possibly slightly paler, light brown to brown or grey-black, rest of bare part as male. Juvenile is poorly known, fairly uniformly dark brown to chesnut-brown above and slightly paler below, with red wash on breast, blackish remiges, buff-olive tips on median and greater coverts and tertials, gape yellow and swollen, immature male possibly varies, like adult female but darker, with diffuse rufous-brown mottling on nape.
Not Threatened
Male nominate is striking glossy jet-black except for broad, brilliant scarlet collar covering all of hindneck, side of neck, throat and upper breast, continuous with scarlet mantle of uppwrbody has varying scattered black patches or mottling, and sometimes posterior uppertail-coverts wholly black, underwing sooty black with silvery grey-brown remiges, iris brown to blackish-brown, bill black, legs very dark grey to blackish-brown or black, soles yellow. Female is smaller than male, plumage very different, black brown above grading to blackish-brown on lores, malar area and chin and upper throat, diffuse and faint rufous-brown mottling on forehead and crown merging to more pronounced mottling or streaking on hindneck to back and scapulars, with scarlet-red lower rump and most uppertail-coverts, posterior uppertail-coverts and tail usually dark olive-brown to blck-brown, median and greater upperwing-coverts with rufous-brown, remiges with fine, slightly paler dark olive outer edges, extent of pale tips to vary, wing sometimes appear fairly uniformly blackish-brown, relieved only by pale tips of tertials, lower throat and upper breast red froming crescent-shaped patch, on some extending to centre of lower breast, rest of underbody rufous-brown, varying mottled blackish to dark brown throughout, underwing white with silvery grey-brown trailing edge and tip, legs possibly slightly paler, light brown to brown or grey-black, rest of bare part as male. Juvenile is poorly known, fairly uniformly dark brown to chesnut-brown above and slightly paler below, with red wash on breast, blackish remiges, buff-olive tips on median and greater coverts and tertials, gape yellow and swollen, immature male possibly varies, like adult female but darker, with diffuse rufous-brown mottling on nape.
10-12.5 cm, male 9.3-12.7 g, female 9-10.7 g (nominate), three males 12.4-15.6 g, three females 7.5-8.5 g.
Taxonomy: Myzomela rosenbergii Schlegel, 1871, Arfak Mountains, north-west New Guinea. Relationships within genus uncertain; may be close to the M. cardinalis superspecies or to the M. lafargei superspecies. Proposed race wahgiensis (Weiga, S slope Wahgi Divide, in Western Highlands) considered inseparable from nominate. Two subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * rosenbergii Schlegel, 1871 - high mountains of New Guinea from Vogelkop E, including Bewani Mts (C North Coastal Ranges), Adelbert Mts and mountains of Huon Peninsula, to Owen Stanley Range. * longirostris Mayr & Rand, 1935 - mountains of Goodenough I, in D’Entrecasteaux Archipelago.
Lower montane to high mountain primary forest, moss forest and dense riverine forest. Above 2000 m, mainly between 1200 m and 3700 m, ocassionaly foraging down to 600 m.
Primarily nectar, also small arthropods, ocassionaly smam fruits. Nectar taken from wide range of flowering plants, including trees.
Nestling recorded in late Jul and late Sept, fledglings mid-Jul and juvenile in early Sept. One nest a bulky cup made of rootles and lined with fine rootles.