Bird guideBlack-eared Miner

Rare, medium-sized honeyeater found only in a few areas with dense intact mallee woodland (such as Gluepot Reserve).

⚠️Endangered
🌿Endemic to Australia

At a glance

FamilyHoneyeaters
SizeMedium
RarityUncommon
HabitatMarine and coastal; usually found over open ocean, offshore waters, islands, headlands, and other coastal areas.
Best timeMost reliable in South Australia from October.

Sounds

Sound sample
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Recorded by Andrew Spencer

Range map

Range map

119visible hotspots
2350visible 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

Hybridizes 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.

Behavior

Grayish brown above, paler gray below, with pale gray crown, yellow bill, yellow eye patch, and a dark cheek patch.

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