Gavicalis Explained

Gavicalis is a genus of honeyeaters endemic to New Guinea and Australia. It contains former members of Lichenostomus, and was created after a molecular phylogenetic analysis published in 2011 showed that the original genus was polyphyletic.^[1]

The genus contains three species:^[2]

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Gavicalis versicolor		New Guinea, northeast Australia
	Gavicalis fasciogularis		east Australia
	Gavicalis virescens		Australia

The name Gavicalis was first proposed by the Australian ornithologists Richard Schodde and Ian Mason in 1999.^[3] The word is an anagram of Caligavis introduced by Tom Iredale.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Nyári . Á.S. . Joseph . L. . 2011 . Systematic dismantlement of Lichenostomus improves the basis for understanding relationships within the honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) and historical development of Australo–Papuan bird communities . Emu . 111 . 3 . 202–211 . 10.1071/mu10047. 85333285 .
2. Web site: Gill . Frank . Donsker . David . Honeyeaters . World Bird List Version 6.1 . International Ornithologists' Union. 28 January 2016 .
3. Book: Schodde . Richard . Richard Schodde . Mason . Ian J. . 1999 . The directory of Australian birds : a taxonomic and zoogeographic atlas of the biodiversity of birds in Australia and its territories . Collingwood, VIC Australia . CSIRO . 978-064306456-0 . 1–851 .
4. Book: Jobling, James A . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 171 .