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
8162approx 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
South Australia
Australian Capital Territory
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.→Pied HoneyeaterCerthionyx variegatusFemale and juvenile plain brown, with subtly patterned wings and faint speckles on chest. Much larger than Black Honeyeater (which has completely black upperparts).→Gray-headed HoneyeaterPtilotula keartlandiMedium-sized honeyeater found in woodlands and rocky areas across northern inland Australia. Olive brown above, yellow with diffuse gray streaking below, with gray crown and dark gray cheek patch bordered in yellow, and entirely black bill during breeding season. Base of lower mandible (and adjacent gape) yellow in nonbreeding season.→