The Banda myzomela (Myzomela boiei) is a bird species in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to Indonesia, and found in the Banda, Babar and the Tanimbar Islands. The two subspecies usually recognised are separated by of open sea.
Taxonomy The Banda myzomela was formally described in 1843 by the German naturalist Salomon Müller as Nectarinia (Myzomela) Boiei based on specimens collected on the Banda Islands. Published in parts. For the publication date see: The earliest description cited above was included in Part 6 of the volume Land-en Volkenkunde that was published in June 1843. An illustration of the Banda myzomela was published in March 1844 as Plate 10 in part 10 of the Zoologie volume. The text on the Banda myzomela in the Zoologie volume on page 66 was published in part 12 in June 1845. The specific epithet boiei was chosen to honour the memory of the German zoologist Heinrich Boie.
Two subspecies are recognised: M. b. boiei (Müller, S, 1843) – found on the Banda Islands (eastern Lesser Sunda Islands) M. b. annabellae Sclater, PL, 1883 – found on the islands of Yamdena and Selaru, Tanimbar Islands (eastern Lesser Sunda Islands)
In 2025, a study proposed that the two subspecies could be raised to the species level because of notable differences in plumage, size and song. The subspecies M. b. annabellae would be elevated to full species (Tanimbar myzomela M. annabellae), with the population on Babar also split as a new species, Babar myzomela Myzomela babarensis.
Description The species has sexual dimorphism. The male has a distinctive red head, neck, upper breast, and mantle, black eye ring, scapulars, and wings, a distinctive pointed beak and brown legs. The female is primarily brown, with an orange part underneath the also-pointed beak. The juveniles are not described. The subspecies M. b. annabellae differs from subspecies M. b. boiei in that the males have a white chest instead of a black one.
Habitat Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is a possible nomadic species that changes its living place in the region and go foraging in twos (probably pairs), and sometimes in flocks. They have their eggs in September and the chicks fledge at April.
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