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Tawny-crowned honeyeater
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Meliphagidae
Genus:	Gliciphila Swainson, 1837
Species:	G. melanops
Binomial name
Gliciphila melanops (Latham, 1801)
Synonyms
Phylidonyris melanops

The tawny-crowned honeyeater (Gliciphila melanops) is a passerine bird native to southern Australia.

Taxonomy

The tawny-crowned honeyeater was originally described by ornithologist John Latham in 1801 as Certhia melanops. Its specific epithet is derived from the Ancient Greek terms melano- 'black' and ōps 'face'.

It was previously classified in the genus Phylidonyris but a recent molecular study has shown it to be more distantly related to members of that genus. It was assigned to a new genus Gliciphila by Gregory Mathews in 1912, and is recognised as the only species of the genus. DNA analysis has shown honeyeaters to be related to the Pardalotidae (pardalotes), Acanthizidae (Australian warblers, scrubwrens, thornbills, etc.), and Maluridae (Australian fairy-wrens) in the large superfamily Meliphagoidea.

There are two recognized subspecies of tawny-crowned honeyeater: the nominate Gliciphila melanops melanops and G. melanops chelidonia, an endemic of Tasmania that has a rufous tinge to its plumage.

Description

A species of the honeyeater family, perching birds that feed on insects and nectar. Tawny-crowned honeyeaters are sometimes observed hopping amongst plants on the ground to feed, considered as unusual behaviour amongst its near relations. It resembles the eastern and western spinebills and crescent honeyeater, but is distinguished by a tawny-colored crown above a white line separating the black markings of the face. The upper side of the body is a pale brown, becoming white plumage on the lower parts.

They possess a long curved bill that is able to reach nectar at the base of flowers, and in some plants they have become the primary pollinator.

Distribution

The tawny-crowned honeyeater is found from the North Coast of New South Wales through to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, as well as in Victoria and Tasmania. It also occurs in southwest Western Australia from Israelite Bay westwards. Its natural habitat is low shrubland and heath. It has become locally extinct in the urban Sydney area since 1971.

Breeding

The breeding season may take place from June to December. The bulky cup-shaped nest is made of bark, grass, and even seaweed, and lined with softer material such as fur or wool. It is hidden among shrubby vegetation. The clutch size is usually two or three, and occasionally four eggs. Measuring 21 x 14 mm, the oval eggs are beige, with buff or pink-tinged splotches.

Gallery

• Tawny-crowned honeyeater, Bruny Island, Tasmania

References

1. Latham, John (1801). Supplementum indicis ornithologici sive systematis ornithologiae (in Latin). London: Leigh & Sotheby. p. xxxvi.
2. Liddell, Henry George and Robert Scott (1980). A Greek-English Lexicon (Abridged ed.). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-910207-4.
3. Driskell, A.C., Christidis, L (2004) Phylogeny and evolution of the Australo-Papuan honeyeaters (Passeriformes, Meliphagidae) Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 31 943–960
4. Barker, F.K., Cibois, A., Schikler, P., Feinstein, J., and Cracraft, J (2004) Phylogeny and diversification of the largest avian radiation. Proceedings Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 101 11040-11045
5. ^ Higgins, Peter; Christidis, Les; Ford, Hugh (2020-03-04), Billerman, Shawn M.; Keeney, Brooke K.; Rodewald, Paul G.; Schulenberg, Thomas S. (eds.), "Tawny-crowned Honeyeater (Gliciphila melanops)", Birds of the World, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, doi:10.2173/bow.tachon1.01, S2CID 216269622, retrieved 2020-11-02
6. "Tawny-crowned Honeyeater Glyciphila melanops Meliphagidae". birdlife Australia. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
7. ^ Beruldsen, G (2003). Australian Birds: Their Nests and Eggs. Kenmore Hills, Qld: self. p. 324. ISBN 0-646-42798-9.

v t e Genera of passerines and their extinct allies
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Clade: Psittacopasseres Order: Passeriformes
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Tyrannides Conopophagidae Cephalopterus Conopophaga Pittasoma Cotingidae Ampelioides Ampelion Carpodectes Carpornis Conioptilon Cotinga Doliornis Gymnoderus Haematoderus Lipaugus Querula Perissocephalus Phibalura Phoenicircus Phytotoma Pipreola Porphyrolaema Procnias Pyroderus Rupicola Snowornis Xipholena Zaratornis Formicariidae Chamaeza Formicarius Furnariidae Berlepschia †Pseudoseisuropsis Sclerurinae Geositta Sclerurus Dendrocolaptinae Dendrocolaptini Campylorhamphus Dendrexetastes Dendrocolaptes Dendroplex Drymornis Drymotoxeres Glyphorynchus Hylexetastes Lepidocolaptes Nasica Xiphocolaptes Xiphorhynchus Sittasomini Certhiasomus Dendrocincla Deconychura Sittasomus Furnariinae Xenops Pygarrhichini Microxenops Ochetorhynchus Pygarrhichas Furnariini Cinclodes Furnarius Geocerthia Limnornis Lochmias Phleocryptes Premnornis Pseudocolaptes Tarphonomus Upucerthia Philydorini Anabacerthia Anabazenops Ancistrops Automolus Cichlocolaptes Clibanornis Dendroma Heliobletus Megaxenops Philydor Syndactyla Thripadectes Synallaxini Acrobatornis Anumbius Aphrastura Asthenes Certhiaxis Coryphistera Cranioleuca Hellmayrea Leptasthenura Limnoctites Margarornis Mazaria Metopothrix Phacellodomus Premnoplex Pseudasthenes Pseudoseisura Roraimia Schoeniophylax Siptornis Spartonoica Sylviorthorhynchus Synallaxis Thripophaga Xenerpestes Grallariidae Cryptopezus Grallaria Grallaricula Hylopezus Myrmothera Melanopareiidae Melanopareia Pipridae Ceratopipra Chiroxiphia Chloropipo Corapipo Cryptopipo Heterocercus Ilicura Lepidothrix Machaeropterus Manacus Masius Neopelma Pipra Pseudopipra Tyranneutes Xenopipo Rhinocryptidae Acropternis Eleoscytalopus Eugralla Liosceles Merulaxis Myornis Psilorhamphus Pteroptochos Rhinocrypta Scelorchilus Scytalopus Teledromas Thamnophilidae Euchrepomidinae Euchrepomis Myrmornithinae Myrmornis Pygiptila Thamnistes Thamnophilinae Formicivorini Formicivora Myrmochanes Myrmotherula Terenura Microrhopiini Ammonastes Aprositornis Clytoctantes Epinecrophylla Microrhopias Myrmophylax Myrmorchilus Neoctantes Pithyini Cercomacra Cercomacroides Drymophila Gymnopithys Hypocnemis Oneillornis Phaenostictus Phlegopsis Pithys Rhegmatorhina Sciaphylax Willisornis Pyriglenini Akletos Ampelornis Gymnocichla Hafferia Hylophylax Hypocnemoides Myrmeciza Myrmelastes Myrmoborus Myrmoderus Percnostola Poliocrania Pyriglena Rhopornis Sclateria Sipia Thamnophilini Batara Biatas Cymbilaimus Dichrozona Dysithamnus Frederickena Herpsilochmus Hypoedaleus Isleria Mackenziaena Megastictus Radinopsyche Rhopias Sakesphoroides Sakesphorus Taraba Thamnomanes Thamnophilus Xenornis Tityridae Iodopleura Laniisoma Laniocera Myiobius Onychorhynchus Oxyruncus Pachyramphus Schiffornis Terenotriccus Tityra Xenopsaris Tyrannidae Agriornis Alectrurus Anairetes Aphanotriccus Arundinicola Atalotriccus Attila Calyptura Camptostoma Capsiempis Casiornis Cnemarchus Cnemotriccus Cnipodectes Colonia Colorhamphus Conopias Contopus Corythopis Culicivora Elaenia Empidonax Empidonomus Euscarthmus Fluvicola Griseotyrannus Gubernetes Guyramemua Hemitriccus Heteroxolmis Hirundinea Hymenops Inezia Knipolegus Lathrotriccus Legatus Lessonia Leptopogon Lophotriccus Machetornis Mecocerculus Megarynchus Mionectes Mitrephanes Muscigralla Muscipipra Muscisaxicola Myiarchus Myiodynastes Myiopagis Myiophobus Myiornis Myiotheretes Myiotriccus Myiozetetes Nengetus Neopipo Neoxolmis Nephelomyias Nesotriccus Ochthoeca Ochthornis Oncostoma Ornithion Phelpsia Philohydor Phyllomyias Phylloscartes Piprites Pitangus Platyrinchus Poecilotriccus Pogonotriccus Polystictus Pseudelaenia Pseudocolopteryx Pseudotriccus Pyrocephalus Pyrope Pyrrhomyias Ramphotrigon Rhynchocyclus Rhytipterna Satrapa Sayornis Serpophaga Silvicultrix Sirystes Stigmatura Sublegatus Suiriri Syrtidicola Tachuris Taeniotriccus Todirostrum Tolmomyias Tumbezia Tyrannopsis Tyrannulus Tyrannus Uromyias Xenotriccus Xolmis Zimmerius
Passeri †Resoviaornis Acanthizidae Acanthiza Acanthornis Aethomyias Aphelocephala Calamanthus Gerygone Hylacola Neosericornis Oreoscopus Origma Pachycare Pycnoptilus Pyrrholaemus Sericornis Smicrornis Atrichornithidae Atrichornis Callaeidae Callaeas †Heteralocha Philesturnus Climacteridae Climacteris Cormobates Cnemophilidae Cnemophilus Loboparadisea Dasyornithidae Dasyornis Maluridae Amytornithinae Amytornis Malurinae Malurini Chenorhamphus Clytomyias Malurus Sipodotus Stipiturini Stipiturus Melanocharitidae Melanocharis Oedistoma Rhamphocharis Toxorhamphus Meliphagidae Acanthagenys Acanthorhynchus Anthochaera Anthornis Ashbyia Bolemoreus Caligavis Certhionyx Cissomela Conopophila Entomyzon Epthianura Foulehaio Gavicalis Gliciphila Glycichaera Glycifohia Grantiella Guadalcanaria Gymnomyza Lichenostomus Lichmera Macgregoria Manorina Meliarchus Melidectes Melilestes Melionyx Meliphacator Meliphaga Melipotes Melithreptus Melitograis Microptilotis Myza Myzomela Nesoptilotis Oreornis Plectorhyncha Philemon Phylidonyris Ptiloprora Ptilotula Prosthemadera Purnella Pycnopygius Ramsayornis Stomiopera Stresemannia Sugomel Territornis Timeliopsis Trichodere Vosea Xanthotis Menuridae Menura Notiomystidae Notiomystis Orthonychidae Orthonyx †Palaeoscinidae Palaeoscinis Pardalotidae Pardalotus Pomatostomidae Garritornis Pomatostomus Ptilonorhynchidae Ailuroedus Amblyornis Archboldia Chlamydera Prionodura Ptilonorhynchus Scenopoeetes †Sericuloides Sericulus Corvides See Corvides Passerida See Passerida

• Meliphagidae
• Birds of New South Wales
• Birds of Victoria (state)
• Birds of South Australia
• Birds of Western Australia
• Birds of Tasmania
• Endemic birds of Australia
• Birds described in 1837