Lichenostomus
Template:Short description Template:Automatic taxobox
Lichenostomus is a genus of honeyeaters endemic to Australia.
The genus formerly contained twenty species but it was split after a molecular phylogenetic analysis published in 2011 showed that the genus was polyphyletic.[1] Former members were moved to the six new genera: Nesoptilotis, Bolemoreus, Caligavis, Stomiopera, Gavicalis and Ptilotula.[1]
The genus contains two species:[2]
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| File:Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops) - Flickr - Lip Kee (1).jpg | Lichenostomus melanops | Yellow-tufted honeyeater | east and southeast Australia |
| File:Lichenostomus cratitius.jpg | Lichenostomus cratitius | Purple-gaped honeyeater | southwest and south-central Australia |
_-_Flickr_-_Lip_Kee_(1).jpg){kind=link}
The name Lichenostomus was introduced by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis in 1851.[3] The word is derived from the Greek leikhēn meaning lichen or callous and stoma meaning mouth.[4]
Feeding
Both species feed primarily on nectar but also glean insects from foliage and bark and make aerial sallies for invertebrates. The purple-gaped honeyeater can forage in small groups of up to 30 birds.[5]
References
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