Indonesia has 20 species of humming birds

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesia now has 20 species of humming birds (Myzomela) following the discovery of a new species of endemic Myzomela prawiradilagae from Alor Island, East Nusa Tenggara.

“Physically, Myzomela prawiradilagae has a similar color with Myzomela dammermani from Sumba and Myzomela vulnerata from Timor,” an ornithologist at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)’s Biology Research Center, Mohammad Irham, said as quoted from LIPI’s website here,Thursday.

He explained that new species of bird was named after a senior LIPI ornithologist, Dewi Prawiradilaga, for her great contribution in the development of ecological and conservation research of Indonesian birds.

According to Irham, although phylogenetically the new species of humming bird of Alor Island is closely related to Myzomela kuehni from Wetar Island in Maluku, the morphological, bioacoustics and ecological characteristics are very different.

“The red color on Myzomela prawiradilagae’s head is more striking and has a small ribbon reaching only the throat. The tempo vocal is slower with a lower pitch, and almost always begin with an initial tone,” Irham noted.

Myzomela prawiradilagae habitat is confined to the Eucalyptus forest.

The discovery of the new species of humming bird from Alor Island was published in the Journal of Ornithology on October 5, 2019.

Reporting by Indonesia Window