Black HoneyeaterSugomel nigrumTiny nomadic honeyeater with thin decurved bill, found across arid inland Australia. Male has completely black upperparts and black hood that extends down the center of the breast to a rough point. Female gray-brown above, with mottled dark marks on pale brown underparts. Often attracted to areas of flowering Eremophila bushes. Call a long, high-pitched whistle, repeated slowly.Meliphagidae bird family
Order Passeriformes · 13 selected species
Browse verified BirdLens profiles selected for complete taxonomy, substantial descriptive coverage, and visual evidence. Open a species to compare its identification notes, distribution, behavior, sounds, and maps.
Black HoneyeaterSugomel nigrumTiny nomadic honeyeater with thin decurved bill, found across arid inland Australia. Male has completely black upperparts and black hood that extends down the center of the breast to a rough point. Female gray-brown above, with mottled dark marks on pale brown underparts. Often attracted to areas of flowering Eremophila bushes. Call a long, high-pitched whistle, repeated slowly.
Brown HoneyeaterLichmera indistinctaSmallish honeyeater with a curved black bill. Grayish overall, with yellowish panels in the wings and tail, and a dark smudge around the eye. Also note bright yellow speckle behind the eye if seen well. In areas of overlap, juvenile Brown Honeyeaters are regularly confused with Dusky Honeyeaters (which are a darker sooty-brown and lack the yellow wing panel). Social and noisy, moving in active flocks. Found in a wide variety of habitats, including mangroves, forests, parks/gardens, and arid inland areas. Very vocal with a wide variety of chattering calls.
Crescent HoneyeaterPhylidonyris pyrrhopterusSmall honeyeater with wide yellow wing patch. Adult males mostly gray with a clear black crescent on each side of the breast. Females are primarily brown and have much fainter crescents; juveniles lack them. Both juveniles and females have much duller yellow wing patches than the adult male. Typically inhabits wet forests, often at higher elevations. Tends to move down from high altitudes in colder months. Common in Tasmania but also found in southern mainland Australia.
Noisy MinerManorina melanocephalaA medium to large, gray honeyeater with a black crown, a yellow bill, and a yellow eye patch. Aggressive and territorial; lives in colonies and vigorously defends territories against pretty much anything that moves. Common in urban areas, as well as in many open forested and agricultural landscapes. In inland areas, take note of the black crown; the similar looking Yellow-throated Miner has a pale gray crown. Noisy Miners are distributed across much of eastern Australia.Noisy MinerManorina melanocephalaA medium to large, gray honeyeater with a black crown, a yellow bill, and a yellow eye patch. Aggressive and territorial; lives in colonies and vigorously defends territories against pretty much anything that moves. Common in urban areas, as well as in many open forested and agricultural landscapes. In inland areas, take note of the black crown; the similar looking Yellow-throated Miner has a pale gray crown. Noisy Miners are distributed across much of eastern Australia.
Painted HoneyeaterGrantiella pictaMedium-sized, distinctive honeyeater of open woodland and shrubland in inland eastern Australia, where usually associated with mistletoe. Black above, white with a few stray streaks below, with red bill and extensive yellow patches in wing and tail. Call a loud, repeated two-note "sue-see sue-see sue-see."
Pied HoneyeaterCerthionyx variegatusMedium-sized honeyeater with long decurved bill, nomadic across arid and semi-arid inland Australia. Male black with white belly, wing patches, and tail panels; distinctive patch of blue skin beneath eye. Female and juvenile plain brown, with subtly patterned wings and faint speckles on chest. This species wanders in search of flowering shrubs and can be absent one year, common in large flocks the next. Much larger than Black Honeyeater (which has completely black upperparts). Calls include a slowly whistled phrase of several notes.
Red WattlebirdAnthochaera carunculataLarge, gray-brown, streaked honeyeater with small pink flaps of facial skin (wattles) and a bright yellow lower belly. Adult has black crown, red eye with white patch below, yellow belly, and streaking across neck, back, and breast. Juvenile is more uniformly brown, with less defined facial wattles. This species is found in a wide variety of habitats across southern mainland Australia. It can be quite aggressive and typically chases smaller species away from flowering trees. Has a wide variety of loud, harsh vocalizations, many of which are familiar noises across southern Australia.
Red-headed MyzomelaMyzomela erythrocephalaTiny honeyeater with a short tail. Adult males have striking bright red face and rump, black wings and back, and gray underparts. Adult females have small amounts of faint red on the face but lack the red rump. Juveniles are similar to adult females but have less red on the face. Typically found in coastal habitats: almost exclusively in mangroves and adjacent forest.
Scarlet MyzomelaMyzomela sanguinolentaTiny honeyeater. Adult males have brilliant red coloration on the face and back; it also extends down onto the breast. The rest of the male’s breast and underparts are predominantly white; its wings and tail are black. Adult females are uniformly pale brown-gray with faint red on the face. Young birds are similar to adult females but have varying amounts of red. Take care not to confuse the plain female/young birds with other plain honeyeaters such as Brown Honeyeater and Dusky Honeyeater. Found in wetter parts of coastal eastern Australia; this includes forests at higher elevations and mangroves. Has a distinctive high-pitched song that is helpful to learn for identifying this species as it often feeds high in the canopy.
White-plumed HoneyeaterPtilotula penicillataA small-to-medium-sized honeyeater named after the distinctive patch of white feathers on neck. Adults are primarily olive-gray with a yellow face. Breeding adults have an entirely black bill, whereas the bills of juveniles and nonbreeding adults have a yellow base. Found in open woodlands as well as in parks and gardens, typically near water. Females build a small, cup-shaped nest using grass and spider webs. This species is widespread across mainland Australia but absent in the far north and the southwest.
Yellow-faced HoneyeaterCaligavis chrysopsA small grayish honeyeater with a yellow facial stripe (bordered above and below with a black stripe), and a faintly streaked front. Abundant along the eastern coast of Australia in forested areas. This species migrates north in early winter, often in enormous flocks streaming through the canopy. Has a distinctive "chip chip" call.
Yellow-throated MinerManorina flavigulaA medium-sized gray honeyeater with a pale gray crown, a yellow bill, a yellow eye patch, and a dark cheek patch. Yellow on sides of throat can be hard to see. In flight, note the pale rump. Aggressive and territorial; lives in colonies and vigorously defends territory against pretty much anything that moves. Common in inland areas including towns and parks. Take note of the gray crown as the similar looking Noisy Miner has a black crown. Distributed across almost all of inland Australia, overlapping with Noisy Miner in eastern Australia.