Phylidonyris novaehollandiae

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Cladus: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Cladus: Telluraves
Cladus: Australaves
Ordo: Passeriformes
Subordo: Passeri
Infraordo: Corvida
Superfamilia: Meliphagoidea

Familia: Meliphagidae
Genus: Phylidonyris
Species: Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
Subspecies: P. n. campbelli – P. n. canescens – P. n. caudatus – P. n. longirostris – P. n. novaehollandiae
Name

Phylidonyris novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790)
Synonymy

Certhia novaehollandiae (protonym)

References

Latham, J. 1790. Index ornithologicus, sive systema ornithologiæ; complectens avium divisionem in classes, ordines, genera, species, ipsarumque varietates: adjectis synonymis, locis, descriptionibus, &c. Volumen II: 467–920. Londini. (Leigh & Sotheby). BHL Reference page. : 296

Vernacular names
català: Menjamel de Nova Holanda
Cymraeg: Melysor adeinfelyn
Deutsch: Weißaugen-Honigfresser
English: New Holland Honeyeater
español: Mielero de Nueva Holanda
فارسی: عسل‌خوار هلند نو
suomi: Valkosilmämesikko
français: Méliphage de Nouvelle-Hollande
magyar: Fehérszemű mézevő
Bahasa Indonesia: Pengisap madu New Holland
Nederlands: Witooghoningeter
norsk: Hvitøyehonningeter
polski: Miodaczek białouchy
svenska: Vitögd honungsfågel
தமிழ்: வரித் தேன்சிட்டு

The New Holland honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) is a honeyeater species found throughout southern Australia. It was among the first birds to be scientifically described in Australia, and was initially named Certhia novaehollandiae.
Taxonomy

The New Holland honeyeater was formally described in 1790 by the English ornithologist John Latham. He placed it with the tree creepers in the genus Certhia and coined the binomial name Certhia novaehollandiae.[2][3] Latham based his account on the "New Holland Creeper" that had been described and illustrated by the Irish surgeon John White in his Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales.[4] The New Holland honeyeater is now one of three species placed in the genus Phylidonyris that was introduced in 1830 by René Lesson.[5]

Five subspecies are recognised:[5]

P. n. novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790) – southeast Queensland to southeast South Australia (central south, southeast Australia)
P. n. caudatus Salomonsen, 1966 – Bass Strait islands (southeast Australia)
P. n. canescens (Latham, 1790) – Tasmania (southeast Australia)
P. n. campbelli (Mathews, 1923) – Kangaroo Island (off central south Southern Australia; central south Australia)
P. n. longirostris (Gould, 1846) – southwest Western Australia (southwest Australia)

Description

The bird is around 18 cm (7.1 in) long and is mainly black, with a white iris, white facial tufts and yellow margins on its wing and tail feathers. It is a very active bird and rarely sits long enough to give an extended view. When danger approaches a New Holland honeyeater, such as a bird of prey, a group of honeyeaters will form together and give a warning call. Sexes are similar in looks with the exception that females are, on average, slightly smaller. Young New Holland honeyeaters (<1 year old) have similar colouring but have grey eyes and a yellow gape and 'whiskers' near the nares. They appear to be a socially monogamous bird with no sign of co-operative breeding, but this observation is yet to be examined.
Behaviour
Breeding

The breeding behaviour of the New Holland honeyeater has been relatively well documented. In southern and eastern Australia, breeding commonly occurs during autumn and spring, although certain coastal populations may breed at any time of the year given suitable conditions, including sufficient food and absence of adverse weather. In Western Australia, New Holland honeyeaters have been observed to breed once annually from July to November, when nectar is abundant.[6]

In breeding territories, males spend a large proportion of their time defending the nest and food resources, while the females invest a large proportion of their time in reproductive labour including nest construction, incubation, and a majority of the nestling care.[6][7] However, these roles are not completely strict (Lambert and Oorebeek, observation). It is also common for females to utilise food resources that are in close proximity to the nest, while males venture further afield, toward the outskirts of the territory.[7][8]
Food and feeding

New Holland honeyeaters obtain most of their carbohydrate requirements from the nectar of flowers. Consequently, they are key pollinators of many flowering plant species, many of which are endemic to Australia, such as Banksia, Hakea, Xanthorrhoea, and Acacia. New Holland honeyeaters may also consume honeydew, a sugary secretion produced by members of the family Psyllidae. Despite feeding primarily on nectar, New Holland honeyeaters are not strictly nectarivorous. Nectar does not contain protein, so New Holland honeyeaters must supplement their diet with invertebrates, such as spiders and insects that are rich in protein. They sometimes feed alone but usually gather in groups.

References

BirdLife International (2016). "Phylidonyris novaehollandiae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22704361A93964734. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22704361A93964734.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
Latham, John (1790). Index Ornithologicus, Sive Systema Ornithologiae: Complectens Avium Divisionem In Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, Ipsarumque Varietates (in Latin). Vol. 1. London: Leigh & Sotheby. p. 296.
Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1986). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 12. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 427.
White, John (1790). Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales : with sixty-five plates of nondescript animals, birds, lizards, serpents, curious cones of trees and other natural productions. London: Printed by J. Debrett. p. 297.
Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (December 2023). "Honeyeaters". IOC World Bird List Version 14.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
McFarland, David C. (1986). "Breeding behaviour of the New Holland Honeyeater Phylidonyris novaehollandiae". Emu. 86 (3): 161–167. doi:10.1071/MU9860161.
Clarke, Rohan H.; Clarke, Michael F. (1999). "The social organization of a sexually dimorphic honeyeater: the Crescent Honeyeater Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera, at Wilsons Promontory, Victoria". Austral Ecology. 24 (6): 644–654. doi:10.1046/j.1442-9993.1999.00990.x.
Kleindorfer, Sonia; Lambert, Sarah; Paton, David C. (2006). "Ticks (Ixodes sp.) and blood parasites (Haemoproteus spp.) in New Holland Honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae): evidence for site specificity and fitness costs". Emu. 106 (2): 113–118. doi:10.1071/MU05055.