Little Wattlebird

SCI Name:  Anthochaera chrysoptera
Protonym:  Merops chrysopterus Suppl.ind.orn. p.xxxiii
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Meliphagidae / Anthochaera
Taxonomy Code:  bruwat1
Type Locality:  Nova Hollandia [= Sydney, New South Wales] .
Author:  Latham
Publish Year:  1801
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

ANTHOCHAERA
(Meliphagidae; Ϯ Little Wattlebird A. chrysoptera) Gr. ανθος anthos  flower, bloom; χαιρω khairō  to enjoy; "Genus. ANTHOCHÆRA *.   Rostrum elongatum, subattenuatum, subarcuatum; culmine ad basin subcarinato; mandibula superiori vix emarginata; naribus longitudinalibus, linearibus, membrana supra tectis, ad medium rostrum extendentibus ibique apertioribus.  Lingua ad apicem in setas plurimas divisa.  Alæ mediocres, rotundatæ; remige prima brevi secunda tertia parte longiori, tertia gradatim longiori, quarta quinta et sexta æqualibus longissimis; tertiæ ad septimam inclusam pogoniis externis in medio gradatim longioribus.  Cauda elongata, rotundata, vix gradata.  Pedes fortes, longitudine mediocres; acrotarsiis scutellatis, paratarsiis integris.   The strong, but at the same time lengthened and attenuated bill of this group, added to the size and powerful conformation of the species, distinguish it from the true Meliphaga. The lengthened and subgraduated tail also serves as a strong mark of distinction. The chief external characters of the group associate it with the Meliphagidæ, although upon a decided enlarged scale; and the tongue of one of the species, now before us, exhibits the filamentous formation peculiar to the Australian Honey-Eaters.  ...  1. CARUNCULATA.  ...  2. MELLIVORA.  ...  Le Goruck? Vieill. Ois. dor. ii. p. 126. pl. 88.   ...  The natives call it Coke'ran.  ...  3. PHRYGIA.*  ...*We take this opportunity of characterizing the following bird, which has been generally considered the young of Anth. carunculata, but which appears to us to be distinct.  ...  4. LEWINII.  ...  Memoriæ Domini JOANNIS GULIELMI LEWIN, peregrinatoris in Australia seduli sagacissimique   ...   * Aνθος flos, and χαιρω gaudeo" (Vigors & Horsfield 1827); "Anthochaera Vigors and Horsfield, 1827, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 15, p. 320. Type, by subsequent designation (Gadow, 1884, Cat. Birds Brit.Mus., 9, p. 262), Certhia mellivora Latham = Merops chrysopterus Latham." (Salomonsen in Peters, 1967, XII, p. 444).   
Var. Acanthochaera (Gr. ακανθα akantha  spine, thorn).   
Synon. Anellobia, Coleavis, Coleia, Colena, Dyottornis, Melichaera, Zanthomiza.

chrysoptera / chrysopterum
Gr. χρυσοπτερος khrusopteros  golden-winged  < χρυσος khrusos  gold; -πτερος -pteros  -winged  < πτερον pteron  wing.
● ex “Yellow-winged Creeper” of Latham 1787 (syn. Cinnyris asiaticus).
● ex "Orange-winged Nuthatch" of Latham 1801 (Daphoenositta).
● ex “Yellow-winged Bunting” of Portlock 1789 (syn. Melanodera melanodera).
● "114. MOTACILLA.  ...  chrysoptera.  20. M. fusca, subtus alba, pileo maculaque alarum luteis, gula nigra.  Motacilla alis aureis. Edw. av. - - t. 299.  Habitat in Pensylvania.  Pileus fulvus. Macula pone oculos gulaque nigra. Linea alba supra infraque oculos. Tectrices alarum luteæ, maculam magnam constituentes." (Linnaeus 1766) (Vermivora).

SUBSPECIES

Little Wattlebird (chrysoptera)
SCI Name: Anthochaera chrysoptera chrysoptera
chrysoptera / chrysopterum
Gr. χρυσοπτερος khrusopteros  golden-winged  < χρυσος khrusos  gold; -πτερος -pteros  -winged  < πτερον pteron  wing.
● ex “Yellow-winged Creeper” of Latham 1787 (syn. Cinnyris asiaticus).
● ex "Orange-winged Nuthatch" of Latham 1801 (Daphoenositta).
● ex “Yellow-winged Bunting” of Portlock 1789 (syn. Melanodera melanodera).
● "114. MOTACILLA.  ...  chrysoptera.  20. M. fusca, subtus alba, pileo maculaque alarum luteis, gula nigra.  Motacilla alis aureis. Edw. av. - - t. 299.  Habitat in Pensylvania.  Pileus fulvus. Macula pone oculos gulaque nigra. Linea alba supra infraque oculos. Tectrices alarum luteæ, maculam magnam constituentes." (Linnaeus 1766) (Vermivora).

Little Wattlebird (halmaturina)
SCI Name: Anthochaera chrysoptera halmaturina
halmaturina / halmaturinus
Mod. L. Insula Halmaturorum  Kangaroo I., South Australia  < Mammalian genus Halmaturus Illiger, 1811, kangaroo  < Gr. ἁλμα halma, ἁλματος halmatos  leap, jump  < ἁλλομαι hallomai  to leap; ουρα oura  tail.

Little Wattlebird (tasmanica)
SCI Name: Anthochaera chrysoptera tasmanica
tasmani / tasmanica / tasmanicum / tasmanicus
Tasmania, Australia (named after Abel Janszoon Tasman (1603-1659) Dutch explorer who sighted and briefly visited the island in 1642, and first named it Van Diemen's Land after his patron Gov.-Gen. Antoon van Diemen).
● Tasman Sea (subsp. Sula dactylatra).