Tawny-crowned Honeyeater

The tawny-crowned honeyeater (Gliciphila melanops) is a passerine bird native to southern Australia. == Taxonomy == The tawny-crowned honeyeater was originally described by ornithologist John Latham in 1801 as Certhia melanops. Its specific epithet is derived from the Ancient Greek terms melano- 'black' and ōps 'face'. It was previously classified in the genus Phylidonyris but a molecular study has shown it to be more distantly related to members of that genus. It was assigned to a new genus Gliciphila by Gregory Mathews in 1912. Two subspecies are recognised: G. m. melanops (Latham, J, 1801) – coastal southern Australia (Broadwater, northeastern New South Wales to Wilson's Promontory, western Victoria to Eyre Peninsula, eastern Tasmania, Kalbarri to Nuytsland, southwestern Australia) G. m. chelidonia Schodde, R & Mason, IJ, 1999 – western Tasmania == Description == A species of the honeyeater family, perching birds that feed on insects and nectar. Tawny-crowned honeyeaters are sometimes observed hopping amongst plants on the ground to feed, considered as unusual behaviour amongst its near relations. It resembles the eastern and western spinebills and crescent honeyeater, but is distinguished by a tawny-colored crown above a white line separating the black markings of the face. The upper side of…