Dark-eared myza
{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{speciesbox
| name = Dark-eared myza
| image = Myza celebensis(2).JPG
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Myza
| species = celebensis
| authority = (Meyer, AB & Wiglesworth, 1894)
| synonyms =
}}
The dark-eared myza (Myza celebensis), also known as the lesser streaked honeyeater, is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. There are two subspecies, Myza celebensis celebensis which is found in mountainous parts of northern, central and southeastern Sulawesi, and Myza celebensis meridionalis from mountains in southern Sulawesi.{{cite web |url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=FC002FE5102139EC |title=Dark-eared Myza (Myza celebensis) (Meyer & Wiglesworth, 1894) |date= |work=AviBase |access-date=2014-07-21}}
Description
The sexes are similar in appearance in the dark-eared myza but males are heavier than females and have longer heads, bills, wings and tail.{{cite journal |author1=Noske, Richard A. |author2=Leishman, Alan J. |author3=Burton, J. |author4=Harris, C. |author5=Putra, Dadang Dwi |author6=Prawiradilaga, Dewi M. |year=2013 |title=Strong sexual size dimorphism in the Dark-eared Myza Myza celebensis, a Sulawesi-endemic honeyeater, with notes on its wing markings and moult |journal=Kukila |volume=17 |issue=1 |url=http://www.kukila.org/index.php/KKL/article/view/387 |access-date=2014-07-15 |archive-date=2021-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126031829/http://kukila.org/index.php/KKL/article/view/387 |url-status=dead }} The adult male is about {{convert|17|cm|1|abbr=on}} in length and weighs about {{convert|21|g|1|abbr=on}}. The head and neck are grey or olivaceous streaked with dark brown. The bill is dark-coloured, long and curved downwards, and there is a bare yellowish patch of skin surrounding the dark eye. The back, wings and tail are brown with streaks of darker brown and the underparts are also brown, but less streaked than the upper parts. Southern populations (subspecies meridionalis), have a greyer base colour.{{cite web |url=http://www.hbw.com/species/lesser-streaked-honeyeater-myza-celebensis |title=Lesser streaked honeyeater (Myza celebensis) |work=Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive |publisher=Lynx Edicions |access-date=2014-07-21}}{{cite web |url=http://www.kutilang.or.id/burung/konservasi/cikarak-sulawesi/ |title=Cikarak Sulawesi |date=2013-05-20 |publisher=Kutilang Indonesia |access-date=2014-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221211830/http://www.kutilang.or.id/burung/konservasi/cikarak-sulawesi/ |archive-date=2013-12-21 |url-status=dead }}
Ecology
The dark-eared myza is found in forests at elevations from {{convert|900|m}} up to {{convert|1800|m}} in the north of the island and up to {{convert|2500|m}} in the south. It feeds from flowers and is described as darting rapidly from one inflorescence to another in its quest for nectar.{{cite web |url=http://orientalbirdclub.org/gunung-ambang/ |title=Gunung Ambang |author=Riley, Jon |date=2000-12-01 |work=OBC Bulletin 32 |publisher=Oriental Bird Club |access-date=2014-07-15}}
Status
The dark-eared myza is common in the mountainous regions in Sulawesi which it inhabits and is estimated to have a total range of {{convert|42100|km2}}. This means that it is considered by the IUCN to be of "least concern" as its range and population size exceed the threshold criteria for being listed in a more vulnerable category.{{cite web |url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=5350 |title=Dark-eared Myza: Myza celebensis |publisher=BirdLife International |access-date=2014-07-21}} One of the places where this bird can be seen is the Gunung Ambang Nature Reserve on Sulawesi.
References
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Category:Birds described in 1895