Meliphaga

Meliphaga is a genus of passerine birds in the family Meliphagidae, commonly known as honeyeaters. Members are medium-sized birds that typically have olive-brown to gray-olive plumage, often with lighter throats or distinctive facial markings. The genus is distributed mainly in Australia and New Guinea, with some species occupying adjacent islands and open woodlands and forests.

A well-known member is Lewin's honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii), native to eastern Australia, illustrating the range and ecology of the group. Meliphaga species are primarily nectarivorous but are opportunistic feeders, taking insects, fruits, and arthropods. They forage by gleaning among blossoms and probing flowers, often forming mixed-species foraging flocks and visiting a variety of flowering trees and shrubs.

In terms of reproduction, Meliphaga birds build cup-shaped nests in shrubs or small trees. Both parents participate in incubation and in feeding the altricial young; clutches typically consist of two to three eggs.

Taxonomy and systematics within Meliphaga have been influenced by molecular studies, leading to revisions in species limits and relationships with other genera in the family. As a result, some former Meliphaga taxa have been reassigned, while remaining species share morphological traits and ecological roles as pollinators of flowering plants.