Molecular Evidence That the Bonin Islands "Honeyeater" Is a White-eye

Abstract

Since 1958, Apalopteron familiare has been placed in the Meliphagidae and called the Bonin Islands Honeyeater or Ogasawara Honeyeater. Previously it had been treated as a bulbul, a babbler, a sylviid warbler and a white-eye. Here we present 12S rRNA sequence evidence that shows that Apalopteron is a member of the white-eye family Zosteropidae, closely-related to the Golden White-eye (Cleptornis marchei) of the southern Mariana Islands, which was also misidentified as a honeyeater until its true affinities were revealed by field observations and DNA-DNA hybridization. The ecology and behavior of Apalopteron and Zosterops are compared and reviewed. The English name Bonin Islands White-eye is proposed for Apalopteron familiars.