Méliphage tacheté

Identification

The yellow-spotted honeyeater is olive-brown on the top and olive-gray below. However, there are brighter yellow areas on the bird's head. The bird has brown legs, feet and eyes; the beak is also brown. It is 16 to 20 cm (6.3 to 7.9 in) in size.<p>The mass of male yellow-spotted honeyeaters ranges from 24 to 29.5 grams, and averages at 27 g. Females range from 23.5 to 30 g, and average at 25.9 g.<p>For the subspecies Meliphaga notata notata, the average wingspan is 8.6 to 9.1 cm (3.4 to 3.6 in) for males and 7.9 to 8.3 cm (3.1 to 3.3 in) for females. For the subspecies Meliphaga notata mixta, the average wingspan is 8.3 to 8.7 cm (3.3 to 3.4 in) for males and 7.7 to 8.1 cm (3.0 to 3.2 in) for females.

Taxonomie

The yellow-spotted honeyeater belongs to the order Passeriformes and the family Meliphagidae. The species may consist of two subspecies: Meliphaga notata notata and Meliphaga notata mixta. The former was described by Gould in 1867 and the latter by Matthews in 1912. The specific epithet notata derives from the Latin notatus, meaning 'spotted' or 'marked'.<p>A bird similar to the yellow-spotted honeyeater was described in 1844.

Nom scientifique

Meliphaga notata

Autorité

(Gould, 1867)

Ordre

Passériformes

Famille

Meliphagidae

Genre

Meliphaga

Répartition et habitat

The bird largely lives in the tropical rainforests of North Queensland in extreme northeastern Australia, between Mackay and northern Cape York Peninsula. In 1901, it was also said to inhabit New Guinea.<p>Yellow-spotted honeyeaters typically live at elevations of 200 metres (660 ft) or greater. They have been observed at elevations as high as 1,200 m (3,900 ft) above sea level, although they are not often observed above 500 m (1,600 ft). While the birds typically live in forests, they have been known to visit suburbs with sufficient tree cover. They have even been observed in some cities that use local plants for landscaping. The species lives in both open forests and forests with an understory of shrubs.<p>The yellow-spotted honeyeater co-exists with the graceful honeyeater.<p>The yellow-spotted honeyeater is in the least concern category of the IUCN Red List. The total population of the species is apparently stable. The size of its range is over 110,000 square kilometers.

Migration

Resident species

Comportement

The call of the yellow-spotted honeyeater has been described as a metallic, high-pitched and "rattling song consisting of four to five 'ee-yeu' repetitions". The bird's call has also been said to sound like a "machine gun rattle". It eats insects, nectar, and fruit. Its body is partially horizontal when perching.<p>The yellow-spotted honeyeater is loud and aggressive. It tends to be solitary, or live in groups of two or, at most, several birds. It does not migrate.

Conservation

Tendance de la population

stable