Integrating phylogeography and morphometrics to assess conservation merits and inform conservation strategies for an endangered subspecies of a common bird species

•Evolution of Lichenostomus melanops is explored with genetic and morphologic data.•Genetic data suggests subdivision of melanops+meltoni vs gippslandicus+cassidix.•IMa2 suggests gippslandicus and cassidix diverged in Mid-Pleistocene-Holocene.•Cassidix harbors unique morphology and genetic diversity worthy of conservation.•Introducing gene flow from gippslandicus may improve cassidix’s adaptive potential.