Kadavu honeyeater

The Kadavu honeyeater (Meliphacator provocator) is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Meliphacator. It is endemic to the islands of Kadavu in Fiji. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and tropical mangrove forests.

Kadavu honeyeater
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Meliphagidae
Genus: Meliphacator
Mathews, 1930
Species:
M. provocator
Binomial name
Meliphacator provocator
(Layard, EL, 1875)
Synonyms

Xanthotis provocator

The Kadavu honeyeater is described as being fairly large, somewhat resembling the spotted honeyeater, but with a yellowish-green bare skin eye-patch, bordered towards the rear by light green feathering on the ear coverts. It is dark streaked beneath with a whitish unstreaked central strip, and has upperparts which are greenish-grey with pale fringes to the wing feathers. This bird makes loud, ringing, friarbird-type calls, and prefers the tall mangroves along creek margins.

This species was previously placed in the genus Xanthotis. It was moved to Meliphacator based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2019.[2][3]

References
  1. BirdLife International (2018). "Meliphacator provocator". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22704119A130254111. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22704119A130254111.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. Andersen, M.J.; McCullough, J.M.; Friedman, N.R.; Peterson, A.T.; Moyle, R.G.; Joseph, L.; Nyári, A.S. (2019). "Ultraconserved elements resolve genus-level relationships in a major Australasian bird radiation (Aves: Meliphagidae)". Emu. 119 (3): 218–232. doi:10.1080/01584197.2019.1595662.
  3. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Honeyeaters". IOC World Bird List Version 10.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  • WorldTwitch - Fiji Birding Trip Report, Dec 96 .


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