• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Justification of Red List category
Although this species has a small range, it does not meet any subcriterion under the range size criterion (extent of occurrence <20,000 km² combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Similarly, the population, while considered moderately small, is suspected to be stable, thus does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations) or the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Population justification
The population size of this species has not been directly calculated, although it is reported common to very common on Goodenough (Mayr and Van Deusen 1957, Gregory 2017). It was recently discovered on Ferguson Island, where it is described as uncommon (Gregg et al. 2020), although the latter's expedition did not reach higher elevations where the species may prove more common. Suitable habitat in this species' range is estimated to total no more than 300 km². Other Myzomela species range widely in density, between c.10-120 birds/km² (Bell 1982, Jones et al. 1995). Assuming the majority (60-80%) of suitable habitat is occupied based on reports of the species being common, the population size is inferred to number 1,800-29,000 birds, or 1,200-20,000 mature individuals, with a best estimate of the latter of 10,000-19,999. It is notable that M. rosenbergii (with which this species was formerly considered conspecific) exhibited a potentially highly biased sex ratio of up to 20 males to each female (see Higgins et al. 2020) although this is not accounted for here.

Trend justification
No population trend data are available for this species, but habitat loss in this species' elevational range has been minimal (<1% in the ten years to 2021; Global Forest Watch [2022] based on data and methods in Hansen et al. [2013]); in the absence of other threats the population is suspected to be stable.

This species is restricted to Goodenough and Ferguson Islands, Papua New Guinea, off the south-east coast of New Guinea (Beehler and Pratt 2016, Gregg et al. 2020).

This species occurs in montane forest between 900 and 2,750 m (Beehler and Pratt 2020, Gregg et al. 2020).

This species favours montane forest, the extent of which appears to currently be stable (Global Forest Watch [2022] based on data and methods in Hansen et al. [2013]). Like other Myzomela, it may also prove somewhat tolerant of habitat degradation.

Conservation Actions Underway
None is known.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Conduct surveys to get a better understanding of population size and trend estimates. Protect its remaining habitat.

Text account compilers
Berryman, A.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Long-billed Myzomela Myzomela longirostris. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/long-billed-myzomela-myzomela-longirostris on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.