General Information

The Honeyeaters are all different species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.

Physical Description

The Lewin's Honeyeater is 20-22cm in length. It is dark greenish grey in colour, with creamy yellow corners of the mouth. It also has large, yellowish crescent-shaped ear patches, a very svelte body type and pointy black beak.

The male Scarlet Honeyeater is 10-11 cm long with a bright red head, breast, back and rump, black tail and wings. Its wing feathers have white margins with a white abdomen. The female, however, is a pale brown with a whitish abdomen. Both have black bills and eyes.

The Yellow Honeyeater is about 19 cm long and has a light brown body with tufts of bright yellow throughout.

Diet

They honeyeaters feed on nectar, especially from the mistletoes, climbing Pandans and the Umbrella Trees. They also feed on beetles and other insects, generally from the mid strata of the rainforest.

Habitat

These birds are endemic to Australia, in which they are mostly found in North Queensland. Their natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. In winter, it extends to lower altitudes and a more open habitat. Besides living in rainforests, the honeyeater likes swamp woodlands and drier forests adjacent to rainforests.

Reproduction

The Honeyeater creates a deep cup of fine twigs and tendrils then lines it with plant matter. The female then her eggs, which normally consist of one to two at a time. These birds can be quite aggressive, especially during the breeding season, from August to March when they can be seen attacking each other. They will sometimes be seen grappling with each other and tumbling down to the forest floor.