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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Meliphagidae
  4. ›
  5. Myzomela
  6. ›
  7. Dusky Myzomela
Dusky Myzomela
Photo · Lepidlizard at English Wikipedia

BirdUp · Species

Dusky Myzomela

Myzomela obscuraGould, 1843

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Meliphagidae
Genus
Myzomela

At a glance

The Dusky Myzomela is a small bird, about 13–15 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
13–15 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Dusky Myzomela look like?

The Dusky Myzomela is a small bird, about 13–15 cm long and weighing 9–18 g.

The dusky myzomela or dusky honeyeater is a small, brown bird that is a common resident of the Aru Islands, southern New Guinea and northern and eastern Australia, where there are two separated populations, one in the Top End, another from Cape York Peninsula along the east coast as far south as the New South Wales border, though the species is rare south of Rockhampton. The Moluccan myzomela, red-tinged myzomela, and Biak myzomela were formerly considered conspecific, but was split as distinct species by the IOC in 2021.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
13–15 cm
Weight
9–17.5 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Dusky Myzomela?

The Dusky Myzomela is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Dusky Myzomela eat?

The Dusky Myzomela feeds on nectar/pollen and terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

5 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Dusky Myzomela live in Australia?

The Dusky Myzomela is native to Australia, recorded across 24 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingSouth New Guinea and north and north-east Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Vagrant

6 regions recorded