Long-billed Honeyeater
Melilestes megarhynchus
A medium-sized honeyeater of forest interior from the lowlands to the mid-mountains. Long bill out of proportion with the rest of the body. Brown upperparts, grayish underparts and head with a red eye. Skulking and sometimes only seen flying across the road. Similar to Meyer’s Friarbird and Tawny-breasted Honeyeater, but Long-billed has a longer, thinner bill, a red rather than dark eye and lacks Tawny-breasted’s facial stripe. Call, a nasal, raspy, downslurred “reeeeuuuuww!” note.
Identification
The long-billed honeyeater (Melilestes megarhynchus) is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is monotypic within the genus Melilestes.
Taxonomy
Genus: Melilestes; Family: Meliphagidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Melilestes megarhynchus
- Authority
- (Gray, GR, 1858)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Meliphagidae
- Genus
- Melilestes
Range and habitat
It is found in New Guinea and offshore islands, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Greater Scythebill
Drymotoxeres pucheranii
Bulky woodcreeper with a stout, deeply curved bill. Very rare in tall, wet Andean cloud forest. Brown with buffy streaks on head, neck, and underparts. Dual white stripes on face and thicker bill distinguish it from Brown-billed Scythebill. Usually found alone, sometimes with mixed-species flocks; probes for insects while creeping along moss-covered trunks and branches. Gives a variety of nasal, whiny-sounding squeaks.
Many-spotted Hummingbird
Taphrospilus hypostictus
Large hummingbird of Andean cloud forest. Ranges along the east slope of the Andes from far southern Colombia south to Bolivia. Sexes similar. Note white spot behind eye and white underparts boldly spotted with green. Similar to female Violet-fronted Brilliant but lacks blue forehead and white mustache stripe. Generally scarce but visits feeders in some areas.
Red-billed Firefinch
Lagonosticta senegala
The combination of a red bill, yellow-green eye-ring, and brown (not black) undertail are characteristic of this firefinch. The male has a pink face, crown, and underparts, while the female is mostly brown with a small pink patch between the eye and bill and a pink upper tail. Pairs and small flocks are resident in a variety of grassy savanna habitats and in cultivation, where they feed on the ground for seeds and fly into trees when disturbed. The species may join mixed-species flocks and often drinks or bathes. It gives a melodic “swee-tee-eeer” song and a spitting, tinny “prrrrrt” call. The Bar-breasted Firefinch is very similar to the Red-billed Firefinch, but has a brown (not reddish) crown; the Brown Firefinch has a brown rump.
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