A taxonomic revision of Banda Myzomela Myzomela boiei (S. Müller 1843), including the description of a new species from Babar Island, Indonesia

Banda Myzomela Myzomela boiei (S. Müller 1843) is a small honeyeater distributed in two subspecies across three island groups in Maluku Province, Indonesia: M. b. boiei on the Banda Islands, and c.350 km to the south, M. b. annabellae on the Tanimbar Islands and Babar. We compare data from 28 museum specimens and 21 sound recordings, and report the results of 152 playback experiments, to investigate the taxonomy of these three populations. Compared to M. b. annabellae, M. b. boiei has a c.10% longer wing, bill and tarsus, more extensive black breast-band, duskier posterior underparts, and a highly divergent song; in playback experiments, M. b. boiei proved unresponsive to recordings of M. b. annabellae. However, the songs of M. b. annabellae on the Tanimbars and Babar are also highly divergent, with populations on both islands unresponsive to the song of the other. Birds on Babar are also slightly larger than annabellae on the Tanimbars (with a c.10% longer tail) and may have more scarlet on the back. We consider the vocal differences between the three populations to be highly indicative of reproductive isolation and recommend they be treated as three independent species under a modern interpretation of the Biological Species Concept. Because no nomen is available for the Babar population, we name it as a new species.