''Caligavis'' is a
genus of
honeyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family (biology), family, Meliphagidae, of small to medium-sized birds. The family includes the Epthianura, Australian chats, myzomelas, friarbirds, wattlebirds, Manorina, miners and melidectes. They are ...
s endemic to New Guinea and Australia. It includes former members of ''
Lichenostomus'', and was created after a
molecular phylogenetic
Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
analysis published in 2011 showed that the original genus was
polyphyletic.
Species
The genus contains three species:
The name ''Caligavis'' was first proposed by the English-born ornithologist
Tom Iredale in 1956. The word is derived from the
Latin ''caligo'' meaning obscurity and ''avis'' bird.
References
Bird genera
{{Meliphagidae-stub