Medium-sized, distinctive honeyeater of open woodland and shrubland in inland eastern Australia, where usually associated with mistletoe.
Vulnerable
Endemic to Australia
At a glance
FamilyHoneyeaters
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatMedium-sized, distinctive honeyeater of open woodland and shrubland in inland eastern Australia, where usually associated with mistletoe.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from October to November.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Greg McLachlan
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
8166approx 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
Call a loud, repeated two-note
Behavior
Black above, white with a few stray streaks below, with red bill and extensive yellow patches in wing and tail.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
New South Wales
Victoria
Australian Capital Territory
South Australia
Northern Territory
Commonly confused with
Black HoneyeaterSugomel nigrumFemale gray-brown above, with mottled dark marks on pale brown underparts. Often attracted to areas of flowering Eremophila bushes.→Black-chinned HoneyeaterMelithreptus gularisThe subspecies in southeastern Australia has an olive back and blue skin around the eye.→Banded HoneyeaterCissomela pectoralisNonbreeding adult has brownish back. Immature has yellow cheeks and brown upperparts. Juvenile similar but even paler brown and has very indistinct breast band.→