Male black with white belly, wing patches, and tail panels; distinctive patch of blue skin beneath eye.
VIC: Vulnerable
Endemic to Australia
At a glance
FamilyHoneyeaters
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
Habitatherbaceous graminoids sparse hummock grasses, shrubland, grassland, and woody trees scattered
Best timeMost reliable in Western Australia from July to September.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
12970approx 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
Female and juvenile plain brown, with subtly patterned wings and faint speckles on chest. Much larger than Black Honeyeater (which has completely black upperparts).
Behavior
This species wanders in search of flowering shrubs and can be absent one year, common in large flocks the next. Calls include a slowly whistled phrase of several notes.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Victoria
New South Wales
Australian Capital 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.→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.→