Ok, as mentioned previously, HBW has split blue-faced honeyeater, and
revived golden-backed honeyeater as separate species. I suspect it is
because of this paper:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04730.x/abstract;jsessionid=984FC9634978F34902940A931109FA9B.f04t02
which is a fascinating paper.
Essentially I think it has the genetic split within blue-face as quite
deep.
Also, golden-backed is genetically distinct from black chinned honeyeater
but not as much as some other splits /and/ there are issues with a broad
hybrid zone. Anyway, I have dumped info on this on wikipedia. Also IOC has
been aware of this Toon et al. paper as this is what revive Melithreptus
chloropsis as a species, and has not resurrected golden-backed (M. laetior)
nor white-quilled honeyeater (Entomyzon albipennis).
The interesting one for anyone travelling up north is white-throated
honeyeater. Currently split in two subspecies (albogularis of Top End and
inopinatus of eastern Australia). Inopinatus is larger with more olive back
and albogularis has yellower back BUT the interesting thing is there is a
deep genetic split across the Gulf Country (i.e. within subsp. albogularis)
- deeper than the one between albogularis and inopinatus. Be good if birdos
could compare populations east and west of Gulf Country.
Cas
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