White-plumed Honeyeater

SCI Name:  Ptilotula penicillata
Protonym:  Meliphaga penicillata Syn.BirdsAustr. pt1 pl.15 fig.1
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Meliphagidae / Ptilotula
Taxonomy Code:  whphon1
Type Locality:  interior of New South Wales ; restricted to Wagga-Wagga by Salomonsen, 1966, Breviora, Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard, no. 254, p. 6.
Author:  Gould
Publish Year:  1837
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

PTILOTULA
(Meliphagidae; Ϯ Yellow-tinted Honeyeater P. flavescens) Dim. < genus Ptilotis Swainson, 1837, meliphaga; "The genus Ptilotis as here used would be considered polyphyletic by genus splitters. Though the Australian species have so far escaped attention from such, the New Guinea species have been split off. I consider that those who would accept such genera as Xanthotis would also need genera as follows. Caloptilotis (nov.) for P. macleayana Ramsay: Paraptilotis (nov.) for P. fusca Gould: Lophoptilotis (nov.) for P. leadbeateri McCoy: and Ptilotula (nov.) for P. flavescens Gould." (Mathews 1912).
Synon. Paraptilotis, Sacramela.

penicillata / penicillatus
Mod. L. penicillatus  with brush-like tufts  < L. penicillus  brush  < dim. peniculus  brush  < penis  tail.
● ex “Yellow-eared Bulbul” of Jerdon 1844 (Pycnonotus).

SUBSPECIES

White-plumed Honeyeater (penicillata)
SCI Name: Ptilotula penicillata penicillata
penicillata / penicillatus
Mod. L. penicillatus  with brush-like tufts  < L. penicillus  brush  < dim. peniculus  brush  < penis  tail.
● ex “Yellow-eared Bulbul” of Jerdon 1844 (Pycnonotus).

White-plumed Honeyeater (leilavalensis)
SCI Name: Ptilotula penicillata leilavalensis
leilavalensis
Leila Vale Station, Fullerton River, Burke District, Queensland, Australia.

White-plumed Honeyeater (carteri)
SCI Name: Ptilotula penicillata carteri
carteri
Thomas Carter (1863-1931) English ornithologist, collector, pastoralist, explorer in Australia 1886-1921 (subsp. Amytornis textilis, syn. Aquila audax, syn. Calamanthus montanellus, syn. Calidris alba, syn. Chalcites lucidus plagosus, subsp. Chlamydera guttata, syn. Colluricincla harmonica rufiventris, syn. Egretta sacra, subsp. Hirundo neoxena, subsp. Neophema elegans, Poodytes, subsp. Ptilotula penicillata, syn. Purpureicephalus spurius, syn. Rhipidura leucophrys, Thalassarche).

White-plumed Honeyeater (calconi)
SCI Name: Ptilotula penicillata calconi
calconi
Etymology undiscovered; "1263. Ptilotis penicillata calconi subsp. n.  Mungi White-plumed Honey Eater.  Mathews, Handlist No. 793 (pars).  Differs from P. p. carteri in having less yellow on the throat, in its paler coloration, and in the white ear-patch being more noticeable.  Type: Mungi, North-West Australia, No. 9212." (Mathews 1912, Novitates Zool., 18 (1911), 413) (subsp. Ptilotula penicillata).