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
6811approx 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
Western Australia
South Australia
Victoria
Commonly confused with
Gilbert's HoneyeaterMelithreptus chloropsisLight olive above, whitish below, with black head broken by white band behind the eye and narrow white arc above it. Black of head extends to include tiny bit of plumage beneath black bill. Juvenile brown with yellow bill. Compare Brown-headed Honeyeater, which has a complete eyering connected to the neck band. Formerly considered a subspecies of White-naped Honeyeater.→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.→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.→