About Gliciphila melanops (Latham, 1801)
Gliciphila melanops, commonly known as the tawny-crowned honeyeater, is a species of perching bird in the honeyeater family that feeds on both insects and nectar. Unlike most of its close relatives, tawny-crowned honeyeaters are sometimes seen hopping among ground-level plants while feeding. It has a similar appearance to eastern and western spinebills and the crescent honeyeater, but can be identified by its tawny-colored crown. This crown sits above a white line that separates the black markings on its face. The upper side of its body is pale brown, while the underparts are covered in white plumage. It has a long, curved bill that lets it reach nectar at the base of flowers, and it acts as the primary pollinator for some plant species. The endemic Tasmanian subspecies G. melanops chelidonia has a rufous tinge to its plumage. The tawny-crowned honeyeater ranges from the North Coast of New South Wales to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, and can also be found in Victoria and Tasmania. It also occurs in southwest Western Australia, from Israelite Bay extending westwards. Its natural habitat is low shrubland and heath. It has been locally extinct in the urban Sydney area since 1971.
