The scarlet myzomela or scarlet honeyeater is a small passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to Australia. It was first described by English ornithologist John Latham in 1801. At 9 to 11 cm long, it is the smallest honeyeater in Australia. It has a short tail and relatively long down-curved bill. It is sexually dimorphic; the male is a striking bright red with black wings, while the female is entirely brown. The species is more vocal than most honeyeaters, and a variety of calls have been recorded, including a bell-like tinkling.
Region
Eastern Australia
Typical Environment
Occurs along the eastern seaboard and adjacent ranges from tropical north Queensland south through New South Wales into eastern Victoria, with local movements tied to flowering. It frequents open forests, eucalypt woodlands, forest edges, coastal heath, mangroves, and urban parks and gardens. Often follows mass blossomings of eucalypts and melaleucas, leading to irruptive local abundance. It is most often seen in the canopy but will descend to shrubs in gardens when nectar is plentiful.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The scarlet myzomela is Australia’s smallest honeyeater and a highly mobile nectar specialist that tracks flowering events. Males are vivid scarlet with black wings, while females are plain brown, making the species strongly sexually dimorphic. It readily visits gardens with grevilleas, bottlebrush, and other nectar-rich plants, and its calls include bright, bell-like tinkling notes.
Adult male foraging at Melaleuca flowers in Queensland
Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera), a commonly-foraged tree
Scarlet honeyeater feeding on flowering Callistemon in Mallacoota, Victoria
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Often forages in small groups and loosely mixed flocks with other honeyeaters at flowering trees. Breeding pairs build a small cup nest suspended in foliage; clutch is typically 1–3 eggs. Both adults attend the young, and movements are largely driven by nectar availability.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
High, bell-like tinkling notes interspersed with thin, sibilant calls. More vocal than many honeyeaters, with rapid, repetitive phrases during feeding and display.
