Anthochaera
Anthochaera is a genus of birds in the honeyeater family. The species are native to Australia and include the little wattlebird, the red wattlebird, the western wattlebird, and the yellow wattlebird. A molecular phylogenetic study has shown that the regent honeyeater also belongs in this genus.
Description
Of the five species in the genus only the yellow wattlebird and the red wattlebird have wattles. These are bare fleshy appendages, usually wrinkled and often brightly coloured, hanging from the cheeks, neck or throat, and presumably serving for display.A common name for species of the genus is wattlebird, a term also used for unrelated avian species.
Taxonomy
The genus Anthochaera was described in 1827 by Nicholas Aylward Vigors and Thomas Horsfield. The type species was subsequently designated as the little wattlebird by the German ornithologist Hans Friedrich Gadow in 1884. The word Anthochaera is derived from the Greek anthos meaning flower or bloom and khairō meaning to enjoy.The regent honeyeater was formerly placed in its own genus Xanthomyza but was moved to Anthochaera based on phylogenetic analysis using DNA sequence data.
A molecular phylogenetic analysis has shown that the genus Anthochaera is the sister group to the monotypic genus Acanthagenys containing the spiny-cheeked honeyeater.
Species and distribution
The genus Anthochaera contains the following species:| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Distribution |
| Red wattlebird | Anthochaera carunculata | southeast Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and southwest Western Australia | |
| Little wattlebird | Anthochaera chrysoptera | coastal and sub-coastal south-eastern Australia | |
| Yellow wattlebird | Anthochaera paradoxa | Tasmania | |
| Western wattlebird | Anthochaera lunulata | south-western Australia. | |
| Regent honeyeater | Anthochaera phrygia | South Eastern Australia |