NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Obscure Honeyeater
Caligavis obscura (De Vis, 1897)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The obscure honeyeater (Caligavis obscura) is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is found in New Guinea.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
The obscure honeyeater was previously placed in the genus Lichenostomus but was moved to Caligavis after a molecular phylogenetic analysis published in 2011 showed that the original genus was polyphyletic.
Wikipedia contributors, Obscure honeyeater; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:14:35.980918+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Caligavis obscura (De Vis, 1897)
- Name authority
- (De Vis, 1897)
- Common name
- Obscure Honeyeater
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Meliphagidae
- Genus
- Caligavis
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyMeliphagidae
- genusCaligavis Iredale, 1956
- speciesCaligavis obscura (De Vis, 1897)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Caligavis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Black-throated HoneyeaterCaligavis subfrenata (Salvadori, 1876) | MeliphagidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Lichenostomus obscurus (De Vis, 1897) (De Vis, 1897) | synonym |
| Lichenostomus obscurus obscurus (De Vis, 1897) (De Vis, 1897) | synonym |
| Lichenostomus obscurus viridifrons (Salomonsen, 1966) (Salomonsen, 1966) | synonym |
| Ptilotis obscura De Vis, 1897 De Vis, 1897 | synonym |
| Caligavis obscura obscura (De Vis, 1897) (De Vis, 1897) | synonym |
| Caligavis obscura viridifrons (Salomonsen, 1966) (Salomonsen, 1966) | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1171843 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:8TQTH. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.