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Wattlebirds (beginner questions)

To: <>
Subject: Wattlebirds (beginner questions)
From: "Peter Shute (NUW)" <>
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 09:50:16 +1100
He was answering an additional question about silvereyes. I should have started a new thread to avoid confusion.

On Tuesday, November 28, 2006 9:29 AM Tom Tarrant wrote:

Hi Dave,

Where have you seen taxonomy that suggests Wattlebirds are not
Honeyeaters?
Most classifications that I've come across put them in Meliphagidae,
I would be interested to see a different perspective.

Tom


On 11/28/06, Dave Torr <> wrote:
  No they are not honeyeaters - they do have a brush-tipped tongue
similar to
  honeyeaters (and quite a few other birds as well) but are not
classified in
  the Honeyeater family. Classification of birds (and indeed other
life forms)
  into "families" is part of a science called taxonomy, and different
  scientists (called taxonomists) have different views on how to
classify
  species and families - similar appearance and/or behaviour does not
  necessarily indicate the species are related in any way - just that
they
  have both evolved to perhaps feed on the same food source.



  On 28/11/06, Peter Shute (NUW) < > wrote:
  >
  > On Monday, November 27, 2006 3:01 PM Michael Ramsey wrote:
  >
  > > Wattlebirds are honeyeaters, they are part of the honeyeater or
  > > Meliphagidae family. Other birds with names that are not
honeyeater
  > > but are in the honeyeater family are chats, miners and
spinebills to
  > > name a few.
  >
  > What about silvereyes?  My reading suggests not, but my
observations led
  > me
  > to assume they were.
  >
  > Peter Shute
  >
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