White-plumed Honeyeater

Identification

The plumage does not differ between the sexes. The distinguishing characteristic is a conspicuous white plume across the neck from the throat to the edge of the nape. The top of head and neck are olive, with a yellow eye-ring surrounding a black-brown to olive-brown eye. Cheeks and ear coverts are yellow-olive, with the rear coverts tipped black, creating a short black stripe along the anterior edge of the neck plume. The chin and throat are dull yellowish-olive.<p>The upperparts are uniform grey-olive and the uppertail coverts have a yellowish tinge. Upperwing coverts are mostly brown with olive to yellow-olive tips or edges, creating a somewhat scalloped appearance. Remiges are dark brown with yellowish edges to secondaries, forming a yellow-olive panel when the wing is folded. Uppertail is olive-brown with yellow-olive outer edges. Underbody is mainly light brown-grey, with pale yellow streaks in the centre of the breast, pale yellow on the upper belly, flanks and undertail coverts, and cream on the lower belly. Underwing coverts are off-white with brown-grey remiges. Undertail is brownish grey.<p>The feet and legs are pinkish to purplish grey. During breeding season, the bill and gape are black; however, outside of breeding the bill obtains an orange-yellow or orange-brown base (only on the lower mandible in some individuals) with a yellow gape.<p>Four subspecies are recognised: Ptilotula penicillata penicillata, P. p. leilavalensis, P. p. carteri and P. p. calconi. P. p. leilavalensis is paler and yellower, P. p. carteri is strongly tinged yellow, and P. p. calconi yellower. These subspecies intergrade where ranges overlap. In all four races, males are slightly larger than females. P. p. penicillata is the largest, with males averaging 20.5 g (0.72 oz) and females 18.1 g (0.64 oz). P. p. leilavalensis and P. p. carteri are similar in size, where males are around 18 g (0.63 oz) and females16 g (0.56 oz). P. p. calconi is the smallest, with males around 17.5 g (0.62 oz) and females around 16 g (0.56 oz). Wing lengths are much larger in penicillatus, and bill lengths differ only slightly, with the bill of P. p. carteri being somewhat longer than the other three subspecies.<p>Juveniles are similar to adults, but with duller colours on the top of head and neck, and brighter colours on the eye-ring and ear coverts. The plume is shorter and less distinct, often lacking the black border of the ear coverts. Underbody is slightly more brown. The bill is pink or yellowish with a brown tip in young individuals, changing to black with a yellow-orange or pinkish base; while the gape is yellow and noticeably puffy looking. In newly fledged birds, the feet and legs are a paler pinkish-brown and appear swollen compared to the adult.

Taxonomy

First described by English naturalist John Gould in 1837, the specimen he examined came from "the interior of New South Wales". The species epithet penicillata derives from the Latin word penicillis meaning 'brush tip', referring to the white plume across the side of the neck. He placed the species in Meliphaga, where it would remain for almost 150 years. In 1975, Australian naturalist Richard Schodde split Meliphaga and placed the species in Lichenostomus. With the introduction of molecular studies, it was apparent that the white-plumed honeyeater belonged in a clade within Lichenostomus. This had first been suggested by Mathews in 1915, who placed it with the Yellow-tinted honeyeater in a genus he named Ptilotula; but this was rejected by the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union. The Ptilotula clade was finally promoted to genus after new molecular evidence was published in 2011. The generic name Ptilotula derives from Ancient Greek ptilon 'feather' and the diminutive of otis 'ear'.<p>The species is probably of Miocene origin, with a fossil fragment found in Riversleigh, Queensland, appearing very similar to the white-plumed honeyeater leg-bone.

Scientific name

Ptilotula penicillata

Authority

(Gould, 1837)

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Meliphagidae

Genus

Ptilotula

Range and habitat

The species is widely distributed throughout south-eastern Australia (excluding Tasmania), up towards central Australia with patches occurring in central and western Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia. They are absent from desert areas but can persist in arid regions where trees and especially standing water are present.<p>The nominate race, P. p. penicillatus, occurs throughout south-eastern Australia to the Spencer Gulf in South Australia, and throughout the Murray-Darling basin. P. p. leilavalensis is found from Lake Eyre south to the Flinders Ranges in South Australia, east to the Barrier Ranges in western New South Wales, west to the edges of the Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts, and north to central-western Queensland. P. p. carteri occurs in the Pilbara region of WA from Geraldton to the Fortescue Ranges, and east to the Western Deserts; while P. p. calconi is known only from the southern Kimberley region.<p>The species has undergone range expansion in the last century. It was formerly linked closely to the distribution of river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) and a few other riverine species; but it has since expanded into coastal areas to become resident in Sydney and Newcastle, where they were previously uncommon or only seasonal visitors. Banding studies indicate that the species is primarily sedentary, with 99.8% of recaptures occurring less than 10 km (6.21 mi) from the banding site. Small local movements occur, perhaps in response to environmental conditions.<p>An oligotypic species, it is mainly found in open sclerophyll woodland, often near water sources, such as wetlands, swamps, creeks, and dams. It is found extensively in river red gum woodlands, but also riparian woodlands dominated by Eucalyptus, Melaleuca or Casuarina species. It may also be found in nearby river flats or open forest and woodland.

Migration

Resident species

Conservation

The white-plumed honeyeater is considered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to be of least concern for conservation.<p>Exotic vertebrate predators, such as cats and dogs, are a direct threat to white-plumed honeyeater populations. Loss of trees from watercourses will impact a population; however, they are able to adapt to suburban environments, especially where native gardens are present.<p>The white-plumed honeyeater body-size has been observed to change over recent decades, with individuals becoming smaller in extended drought, but showing an overall trend towards larger body-size since the 1960s. This is correlated with increasing temperatures in the regions surveyed, with body size increasing by 0.064% per year.

Population trend

stable