DISTRIBUTION OF SUBSPECIES OF THE YELLOW-TUFTED HONEYEATER IN THE YARRA VALLEY REGION, VICTORIA

Distribution and habitat usage of subspecies of the Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus melanops in the Yarra Valley of central Victoria were determined as part of an intensive recovery effort for the endangered Helmeted Honeyeater L. m. cassidix. Two other subspecies are known to occur in the vicinity of the Yellingbo State Nature Reserve, where the last remaining population of L. m. cassidix occurs in lowland swamp forest. L. m. gippslandicus was found to be a breeding resident in riparian open-forest in foothills of the Great Dividing Range within 30 km of Yellingho. L. m. meltoni was found to be only a sporadic, non-breeding visitor to the Yarra Valley. The current geographical, habitat and morphological separation between L. m. cassidix and L. m. gippslandicus suggests that recent introgression, if any, has been insignificant, but this will be further assessed by comparisons of DNA from populations of both subspecies.