Myzomela eques
Male nominate race is wholly blackish-brown, slightly paler below, with glossy red to scarlet patch on chin and throat, faint red spot on forehead, underwing light grey-brown with diffusely darker trailing edge and tip, iris light brown to golden-brown, bill black, legs dark-grey. Female is like male but smaller, somewhat duller and paler, dark brown to dark grey-brown, slightly warmer brown, slightly warmer brown on rump and uppertail-coverts, and often lacks red frontal spot, remiges have faintly paler brown outer edges. Juvenile undescribed, immature similar to female but slightly paler and greyer, wholly dusky brownish-grey, slightly paler below with varyingly faint or non-existent red wash forehead and cheeks, and poorly defined gular stripe. Primitive is darker than nominate, nymani is more grey-toned than others. Karimuiensis considerably darker than others.
Not Threatened
Male nominate race is wholly blackish-brown, slightly paler below, with glossy red to scarlet patch on chin and throat, faint red spot on forehead, underwing light grey-brown with diffusely darker trailing edge and tip, iris light brown to golden-brown, bill black, legs dark-grey. Female is like male but smaller, somewhat duller and paler, dark brown to dark grey-brown, slightly warmer brown, slightly warmer brown on rump and uppertail-coverts, and often lacks red frontal spot, remiges have faintly paler brown outer edges. Juvenile undescribed, immature similar to female but slightly paler and greyer, wholly dusky brownish-grey, slightly paler below with varyingly faint or non-existent red wash forehead and cheeks, and poorly defined gular stripe. Primitive is darker than nominate, nymani is more grey-toned than others. Karimuiensis considerably darker than others.
14 cm, mean 13.8 g (nominate), male everage 15.8 g and female 12.4 g (nymani)
Taxonomy: Cinnyris eques Lesson and Garnot, 1827, Waigeo, West Papuan Islands, off north-west New Guinea. Forms a superspecies with M. blasii, M. albigula, M. cineracea and M. obscura. Often treated as conspeciefic with M. cineracea. Four subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * eques (Lesson & Garnot, 1827) - West Papuan Is (Waigeo, Salawati, Misool) and NW New Guinea (Vogelkop and Onin Peninsula). * primitiva Stresemann & Paludan, 1932 - N New Guinea from Geelvink Bay E to Astrolabe Bay. * nymani Rothschild & E. J. O. Hartert, 1903 - S & E New Guinea (E from Vogelkop-Mimika R on S coast and from Huon Gulf on N coast). * karimuiensis Diamond, 1967 - Karimui, in Eastern Highlands (E New Guinea).
Primary rainforest, forest edge and tall secondary forest and regrowth, found in lowland alluvial rainforest and edge. Sea-level to 500-600 m, but recorded locally to 1200 m.
Primary nectar, from wide range of flowering plants, including Myrtaceae and figs, also insect and reported as eating plants. Forages mainly in outer canopy of tall flowering trees, also in vines and epiphytes, less often in lower canopy, subcanopy, middle storey, and occassionaly, substage layers.