Gliciphila


Gliciphila is a genus of honeyeaters endemic to Australia, New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

Taxonomy

The genus Gliciphila was introduced in 1837 by the English zoologist William Swainson to accommodate a single species, Certhia fulvifrons Lewin, 1808. This is the type species. The name is a junior synonym of Certhia melanops Latham (ornithologist)|Latham], 1801, the tawny-crowned honeyeater. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek γλυκυς/glukus meaning "sweet" or "sweet tasting" with φιλος/philos meaning "lover".
Molecular genetic studies found that the tawny-crowned honeyeater in the genus Gliciphila was embedded in a clade containing the two species in the genus Glycifohia. To resolve the polyphyly the three species are now placed together in Gliciphila.
The genus contains three species:
ImageCommon nameScientific nameDistribution
Barred honeyeaterGliciphila undulatamontane forest of New Caledonia
Tawny-crowned honeyeaterGliciphila melanopssouth Australia and Tasmania
White-bellied honeyeaterGliciphila notabilisVanuatu