The largest honeyeater in Australia, named for the distinctive red wattles hanging from its cheeks.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Djangkang
At a glance
FamilyHoneyeaters
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
HabitatMarine and coastal; usually found over open ocean, offshore waters, islands, headlands, and other coastal areas.
Best timeReported across most months in Victoria, with no narrow seasonal peak.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Romuald Mikusek
Range map
Range map
7338visible hotspots
909600visible records
4states
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
Juvenile is more uniformly brown, with less defined facial wattles. This species is found in a wide variety of habitats across southern mainland Australia. Has a wide variety of loud, harsh vocalizations, many of which are familiar noises across southern Australia.
Behavior
It can be quite aggressive and typically chases smaller species away from flowering trees.
Gallery
Regional timing
Western Australia
Victoria
New South Wales
South Australia
Queensland
Australian Capital Territory