White-naped Honeyeater
Encyclopedia
The White-naped Honeyeater Melithreptus lunatus is a passerine
bird of the Honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to eastern Australia
. Birds from southwestern Australia have been shown to be a distinct species, the Western White-naped Honeyeater
, and the eastern birds more closely related to the Black-headed Honeyeater
of Tasmania. One of several similar species of black-headed honeyeaters in the genus Melithreptus
, it dwells in dry sclerophyll
eucalypt
woodland. Its diet consists of nectar from various flowers and insects.
in 1802. The specific name is derived from the Latin
luna, meaning "moon"; this refers to its crescent-shaped white marking on its nape. It is a member of the genus Melithreptus
with several species, of similar size and (apart from the Brown-headed Honeyeater
) black-headed appearance, in the honeyeater
family Meliphagidae. The next closest relative outside the genus is the much larger but similarly marked Blue-faced Honeyeater. More recently, DNA
analysis has shown honeyeaters to be related to the Pardalotidae (pardalotes), Acanthizidae
(Australian warblers, scrubwrens, thornbills, etc.), and the Maluridae
(Australian fairy-wrens) in a large Meliphagoidea
superfamily.
The Western White-naped Honeyeater
from southwest Western Australia
, this was initially described as a separate species by John Gould
in 1844, before being reclassified as a subspecies of the white-naped for many years. However, a molecular study published in 2010 showed that it had diverged before the split of populations in eastern Australia into the White-naped and Black-headed Honeyeater
s.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird of the Honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Birds from southwestern Australia have been shown to be a distinct species, the Western White-naped Honeyeater
Western White-naped Honeyeater
The Western White-naped Honeyeater , also known as the Swan River Honeyeater, is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to south-western Australia.-Etymology:...
, and the eastern birds more closely related to the Black-headed Honeyeater
Black-headed Honeyeater
The Black-headed Honeyeater is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is one of two members of the genus Melithreptus endemic to Tasmania. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation.-Taxonomy:The Black-headed Honeyeater was described in 1839 as ...
of Tasmania. One of several similar species of black-headed honeyeaters in the genus Melithreptus
Melithreptus
Melithreptus is a genus of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. Its members are native to Australia. It is generally considered to contain seven species, although some authors have classified the related Blue-faced Honeyeater within this genus....
, it dwells in dry sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
eucalypt
Eucalypt
Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...
woodland. Its diet consists of nectar from various flowers and insects.
Taxonomy
The White-naped Honeyeater was originally described as Certhia lunata by French ornithologist Louis Jean Pierre VieillotLouis Jean Pierre Vieillot
Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot was a French ornithologist.Vieillot described a large number of birds for the first time, especially those he encountered during the time he spent in the West Indies and North America, and 26 genera established by him are still in use...
in 1802. The specific name is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
luna, meaning "moon"; this refers to its crescent-shaped white marking on its nape. It is a member of the genus Melithreptus
Melithreptus
Melithreptus is a genus of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. Its members are native to Australia. It is generally considered to contain seven species, although some authors have classified the related Blue-faced Honeyeater within this genus....
with several species, of similar size and (apart from the Brown-headed Honeyeater
Brown-headed Honeyeater
The Brown-headed Honeyeater is a species of passerine bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation....
) black-headed appearance, in the honeyeater
Honeyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
family Meliphagidae. The next closest relative outside the genus is the much larger but similarly marked Blue-faced Honeyeater. More recently, DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
analysis has shown honeyeaters to be related to the Pardalotidae (pardalotes), Acanthizidae
Acanthizidae
The Acanthizidae, also known as the Australasian warblers, are a family of passerine birds which include gerygones, thornbills, and scrubwrens. The Acanthizidae consists of small to medium passerine birds, with a total length varying between 8 and 19 cm. They have short rounded wings, slender...
(Australian warblers, scrubwrens, thornbills, etc.), and the Maluridae
Maluridae
The Maluridae are a family of small, insectivorous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea. Commonly known as wrens, they are unrelated to the true wrens of the Northern Hemisphere...
(Australian fairy-wrens) in a large Meliphagoidea
Meliphagoidea
Meliphagoidea is a superfamily of passerine birds. They contain a vast diversity of small to mid-sized songbirds widespread in the Austropacific region. The Australian Continent has the largest richness in genera and species.-Systematics:...
superfamily.
The Western White-naped Honeyeater
Western White-naped Honeyeater
The Western White-naped Honeyeater , also known as the Swan River Honeyeater, is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to south-western Australia.-Etymology:...
from southwest Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, this was initially described as a separate species by John Gould
John Gould
John Gould was an English ornithologist and bird artist. The Gould League in Australia was named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
in 1844, before being reclassified as a subspecies of the white-naped for many years. However, a molecular study published in 2010 showed that it had diverged before the split of populations in eastern Australia into the White-naped and Black-headed Honeyeater
Black-headed Honeyeater
The Black-headed Honeyeater is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is one of two members of the genus Melithreptus endemic to Tasmania. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation.-Taxonomy:The Black-headed Honeyeater was described in 1839 as ...
s.