Black above, paler with dark streaking below, with small grayish cheek patch, yellow spot behind the eye, messy white throat feathers, and large yellow wing panels.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
At a glance
FamilyHoneyeaters
SizeMedium
RarityUncommon
Habitatopen woodland, closed forest, sparse woodland, grassland, and waterbodies
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from October to January.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Pieter de Groot Boersma
Range map
Range map
139approx hotspots
1954approx records
1states
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
Blackish bill with bluish base.
Behavior
Moves actively through heath and woodland foliage, feeding on nectar and insects and often calling from concealed perches.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
Commonly confused with
Green-backed HoneyeaterGlycichaera fallaxTiny honeyeater found in wetter forests in New Guinea and northern Cape York. Mostly plain olive-green above, yellow below; adult has pale eye and eyering (juvenile has dark eye) and pale blue-gray legs.→Tawny-breasted HoneyeaterXanthotis flaviventerLarge honeyeater found in wetter forested habitats in New Guinea and northern Cape York. White gape line curves beneath eye and onto cheek. In addition to eating nectar, this species also searches bark for insects.→