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English names for honeyeaters Meliphagidae (1 Viewer)

James Jobling

Well-known member
England
If, like me, you maintain a check-list of the birds of the world based on the published works of your choice and your own preferences, you probably also have to consider new English names when species are split, lumped, or moved to other families (I only use the names published by committees as guidelines, never to be slavishly followed).
In that light I have 'created' the following new names for the Foulehaio honeyeaters (see Meliphagidae # 31, in parent forum); F. carunculatus Fulehau Wattlebird, F. procerior Moustached Wattlebird, F. taviunensis Taveuni Wattlebird.
Elsewhere in this family I use Paradise Wattlebird for Macgregoria pulchra, Spectacled Myza for Myza celebensis, Violet-eared Myza for Myza sarasinorum, White-eared Myza for Myza chionogenys, and the substantives Melipotes, Melidectes, and Myzomela instead of Honeyeater for species in those genera.
Happily, English names are not shackled by rules, so I am sure other readers will have their own opinions and favourites!
 
Wattled Honeyeater

Higgins et al 2008 (HBW 13) indicates that the names Samoan Wattled Honeyeater (presumably carunculatus) and Viti Levu Wattled Honeyeater (procerior) have been used at some time. Taveuni Wattled Honeyeater (taviunensis) would complete a trio of geographical names whilst retaining a clear indication of their close relationship, but none of them fully reflect the respective ranges.
 
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Has 'Wattled Honey' been split by anyone else yet?
Always thought it would be a sound split - like the two Giant Forest Honeys...and as for the Island Thrushes out there....sheesh!!
 
For those splitting Giant Green Honeyeater Gymnomyza viridis (Layard, 1875), as hinted at in Andersen, Naikatini & Moyle, 2013 (see main forum Meliphagidae), I suggest:
Chattering Green Honeyeater Gymnomyza viridis (Layard, 1875).
Noisy Green Honeyeater Gymnomyza brunneirostris (Mayr, 1932).
 
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