A fine purple line between the throat and ear coverts gives this understated mallee honeyeater its name.
VIC: Vulnerable; NT: Vulnerable
Endemic to Australia
At a glance
FamilyHoneyeaters
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
HabitatMallee woodland and heathland across southern South Australia and parts of southwestern Western Australia.
Best timeMost reliable in South Australia from April to July.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Khristos Nizamis
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
6818approx records
3states
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
Small, plain honeyeater found in mallee woodland and heathland across southern South Australia as well as in parts of southwestern Western Australia.
Behavior
Forages for nectar and insects in mallee and heath, giving loud squeaks and a rattling trill.
Gallery
Regional timing
South Australia
Victoria
Western Australia
Commonly confused with
Gray-fronted HoneyeaterPtilotula plumulaMedium-sized honeyeater found in open woodlands across inland Australia. Olive brown above, yellowish with diffuse pale streaking below, with pay gray crown and cheek patch with black rear border that is then bordered in yellow. Very similar to Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, which has darker streaked gray underparts and a thinner, more curved yellow neck mark.→Black-eared MinerManorina melanotisHybridizes with Yellow-throated Miner, which makes identification difficult, as hybrids show a mix of the features of both species. In Black-eared, the moustache is darker than the throat (moustache is paler in Yellow-throated) and the cheek patch entirely black (patch has silver flecks in Yellow-throated). In flight, note the rump is the same color as the back and tail (rump is paler in Yellow-throated). Aggressive and territorial; lives in colonies and vigorously defends the territory area against pretty much anything that moves.→Western WattlebirdAnthochaera lunulataMedium-large honeyeater found in southwestern Australia, typically in scrub and dry coastal woodlands. Grayish brown overall with fine white streaking; pale tips to tail feathers and chestnut in primary feathers most easily observed in flight. Easily distinguished from Red Wattlebird by the lack of pink wattles below the eye and the lack of yellow lower belly.→