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The crescent honeyeater (''Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus'') is a passerine bird, of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae, native to south-eastern Australia. A member of the genus ''Phylidonyris'', it is most closely related to the common New Holland honeyeater (''P. novaehollandiae'') and the white-cheeked honeyeater (''P. niger''). Two subspecies are recognized, with ''P. p. halmaturinus'' restricted in range to Kangaroo Island and the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia. It is a fairly nondescript bird of dark grey plumage and paler underparts, highlighted by yellow wing patches and a broad, black crescent, outlined in white, down the sides of its breast. The species exhibits slight sexual dimorphism, with the female being duller in colour than the male. Juvenile birds are similar to the female, though the yellow wing patches of male nestlings can be easily distinguished. The male has a complex and variable song, which is heard throughout the year. It sings from an exposed perch, and during the breeding season performs song flights. The crescent honeyeater is found in areas of dense vegetation including sclerophyll forest and alpine habitats, as well as heathland, and parks and gardens, where its diet is made up of nectar and invertebrates. It forms long-term pairs, and often stays committed to one breeding site for several years. The female builds the nest and does most of the caring for the two to three young, which become independent within 40 days of egg-laying. The parent birds use a range of anti-predator strategies, but nestlings can be taken by snakes, kookaburras, currawongs, or cats. While the crescent honeyeater faces a number of threats, its population numbers and distribution are sufficient for it to be listed as of ''Least Concern'' for conservation. ==Taxonomy== The crescent honeyeater was originally described by ornithologist John Latham in 1801 as ''Certhia pyrrhoptera'', because of an assumed relationship with the treecreepers, ''Certhia''. It was later named ''Certhia australasiana'' by George Shaw in 1812, ''Melithreptus melanoleucus'' by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot in 1817, and ''Meliphaga inornata'' by John Gould in 1838. The generic term comes from the French ''phylidonyre'', which combines the names for a honeyeater and a sunbird (previously thought to belong to the same family). The specific epithet is derived from the Ancient Greek stems ''pyrrhos'', meaning "fire", and ''pteron'', meaning "wing", in reference to the yellow wing patches. Some guidebooks have the binomial name written as ''Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera'';〔 however, a review in 2001 ruled that the genus name was masculine, hence ''pyrrhopterus'' is the correct specific name. Two subspecies are recognised, the nominate form ''P. p. pyrrhopterus'' over most of its range, and ''P. p. halmaturinus'' which is restricted to Kangaroo Island and the Mount Lofty Ranges.〔 A recent molecular study showed its close relatives to be the New Holland honeyeater and the white-cheeked honeyeater, the three forming the now small genus ''Phylidonyris''. DNA analysis has shown honeyeaters to be related to the Pardalotidae (pardalotes), Acanthizidae (Australian warblers, scrubwrens, thornbills, etc.), and Maluridae (Australian fairy-wrens) in a large Meliphagoidea superfamily. Other common names for the crescent honeyeater include chinawing, Egypt and horseshoe honeyeater. Gould called it the Tasmanian honeyeater. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Crescent honeyeater」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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