Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Giant honeyeater

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Class
  
Aves

Family
  
Meliphagidae

Rank
  
Species

Phylum
  
Chordata

Order
  
Passeriformes

Genus
  
Gymnomyza

Giant honeyeater


The giant honeyeater or duetting giant honeyeater (Gymnomyza brunneirostris) is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family. It is endemic to Fiji.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

It is endemic Viti Levu island. It was formerly considered conspecific with the yellow-billed honeyeater. Both showed both phenotypic and behavioural differences. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that they also differed significantly in their mitochondrial DNA sequences and suggested that G. v. brunneirostris should be promoted to the species level. The International Ornithologists' Union accepted these proposals and introduced the name "yellow-billed honeyeater" for G. viridis and "giant honeyeater" for G. brunneirostris.

References

Giant honeyeater Wikipedia