Kadavu honeyeater
species of bird

The Kadavu honeyeater (Meliphacator provocator) is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Meliphacator. It is endemic to the islands of Kadavu in Fiji. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and tropical mangrove forests.
The Kadavu honeyeater is described as being fairly large, somewhat resembling the spotted honeyeater, but with a yellowish-green bare skin eye-patch, bordered towards the rear by light green feathering on the ear coverts. It is dark streaked beneath with a whitish unstreaked central strip, and has upperparts which are greenish-grey with pale fringes to the wing feathers. This bird makes loud, ringing, friarbird-type calls, and prefers the tall mangroves along creek margins.
This species was previously placed in the genus Xanthotis. It was moved to Meliphacator based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2019.
References
WorldTwitch - Fiji Birding Trip Report, Dec 96 [1].
“Kadavu honeyeater” enters the record as species of bird. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Kadavu, honeyeater and species can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Kadavu honeyeater” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Kadavu, honeyeater and species provides the most credible route into that argument.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2224322. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2019.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Kadavu honeyeater”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Kadavu honeyeater primary sources, Kadavu honeyeater archive and Kadavu research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Kadavu honeyeater”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Kadavu honeyeater” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.