Our Recent Taxonomic Changes

Cryptic Honeyeater – Cryptic Honeyeaters are ‘Graceful Honeyeaters’ located in the Wet Tropics. Previously ‘hidden in plain sight’, Cryptic Honeyeaters are now identified as being sufficiently different from Graceful Honeyeaters further north on Cape York Peninsula.

Spotted Catbird – Similar to above, Spotted Catbirds of the Wet Tropics are now identified as being sufficiently different from catbirds further north on Cape York Peninsula, which are now identified as Black-eared Catbirds. 

Hornbill Friarbird – In Queensland, Hornbill Friarbirds were previously identified as Helmeted Friarbirds. They have now been identified as being sufficiently different from Helmeted Friarbirds of the Northern Territory and Indonesia.

Rufous Shrike-thrush – Similar to above, in Queensland, Rufous Shrike-thrush were previously identified as Little Shrike-thrush. They have now been identified as being sufficiently different from Little Shrike-thrush of the Northern Territory and islands to the north.

Torresian Kingfisher – Split out of Collared Kingfishers, which have turned out to be a complex clade across SE Asia, Australasia and the Pacific. 

Plumed Egret – Previously regarded as a subspecies of the Intermediate Egret, Plumed Egrets are distributed throughout the north and east of Australia and PNG.