Bird guideMistletoebird

Breeding Mistletoebirds conduct elaborate courtship and nuptial displays where, with a horizontal body, the male sways from side to side fluttering its wings, flicking its tail and displaying flashes of red.

⚠️Not listed
🍃Indigenous: Baandjil

At a glance

FamilyFlowerpeckers
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatTheir flight is swift and they are usually seen flying above or high in the tree canopy on distinctively pointed wings.
Best timeReported across most months in Queensland, with no narrow seasonal peak.

Sounds

Sound sample
0:000:00
Recorded by Marc Anderson

Range map

Range map

12247visible hotspots
323868visible records
5states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

Adult male glossy black above, with bright red chest, black stripe in center of belly, and red undertail coverts. Female gray above, pale below, with red undertail coverts. Juvenile plain, with orange bill base and undertail coverts. Inhabits many habitats across much of mainland Australia.

Behavior

Flight call a high-pitched, thin “dzee,” song a series of high twittering notes.

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