A small to medium-sized honeyeater with a bright yellow chin and crown and bold black cheeks.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
At a glance
FamilyHoneyeaters
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatTypically found in woodland areas around the southeast parts of Australia.
Best timeReported across most months in Victoria, with no narrow seasonal peak.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Simon Bennett
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
39965approx 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
Gregarious and usually seen in groups; often aggressive towards other birds. Typically found in woodland areas around the southeast parts of Australia.
Behavior
Note the namesake small yellow tufts behind the ear.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
New South Wales
Victoria
Australian Capital Territory
South Australia
Commonly confused with
Black-chinned HoneyeaterMelithreptus gularisThe subspecies in southeastern Australia has an olive back and blue skin around the eye.→Brown-headed HoneyeaterMelithreptus brevirostrisPrimarily gray-brown with olive back and lighter underparts. Eye patch and band leading from the eye to back of the head are cream-colored. Juveniles have pale blue coloration around the eye and a yellow bill. Take care to separate from juvenile White-naped Honeyeater, which lacks the pale half collar around the side of the neck. The plumage of this species varies geographically. Forages in small groups.→