Yellow-spotted honeyeater | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Meliphagidae |
Genus: | Meliphaga |
Species: | M. notata |
Binomial name | |
Meliphaga notata (Gould, 1867) | |
The yellow-spotted honeyeater (Meliphaga notata) is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is also known as the lesser lewin. [2] The bird is endemic to northern Queensland. The bird's common name refers to the yellow patch that members of the species have behind their eyes. [3]
The yellow-spotted honeyeater is olive, brown, and gray in colour. The bird's weight ranges from around 23 to 30 grams, and the wingspan ranges from about 8 to 9 centimeters. The species contains two subspecies, which are known as Meliphaga notata notata and Meliphaga notata mixta. Yellow-spotted honeyeaters are aggressive and have a loud and metallic call.
The yellow-spotted honeyeater belongs to the order Passeriformes and the family Meliphagidae. [4] [5] 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. [5] The specific epithet notata derives from the Latin notatus, meaning 'spotted' or 'marked'. [6]
A bird similar to the yellow-spotted honeyeater was described in 1844. [7]
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. [2]
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. [8]
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. [9]
The bird largely lives in the tropical rainforests of North Queensland in extreme northeastern Australia, between Mackay and northern Cape York Peninsula. [10] [4] In 1901, it was also said to inhabit New Guinea. [7]
Yellow-spotted honeyeaters typically live at elevations of 200 metres (660 ft) or greater. [10] 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). [7] [11] While the birds typically live in forests, they have been known to visit suburbs with sufficient tree cover. [12] 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. [13]
The yellow-spotted honeyeater co-exists with the graceful honeyeater. [14]
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. [15]
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". [2] [16] [17] The bird's call has also been said to sound like a "machine gun rattle". [16] [11] It eats insects, nectar, and fruit. [2] Its body is partially horizontal when perching. [11]
The yellow-spotted honeyeater is loud and aggressive. It tends to be solitary, or live in groups of two or, at most, several birds. [11] It does not migrate. [18]
The nest of the yellow-spotted honeyeater is cup-shaped, usually secured at three points, and made of interwoven bark and light plant material. [2] [7] It often nests in bushes. [7] However, it also nests in trees. [10] [7] The nest is usually 4.4 cm (1.7 in) to 7.6 cm (3.0 in) deep and 8.9 cm (3.5 in) to 10.2 cm (4.0 in) across. The actual area of the nest where the eggs are kept ranges from 3.8 cm (1.5 in) to 5.1 cm (2.0 in) deep and 6.4 cm (2.5 in) to 7.6 cm (3.0 in) across. [7]
The eggs of the yellow-spotted honeyeater range between inclined and elliptical and have a glossy surface. While most of the egg is typically white, there are some purple or brown patches at the top of it. The eggs usually are laid two at a time, but are sometimes laid three at a time. [7]
The birds breed between August and January. [10] Young birds hatch after about two weeks of incubation, and leave the nest after another two weeks or so. [2]
One generation for the birds lasts about 5.5 years. [18]
The little wattlebird, also known as the brush wattlebird, is a passerine bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. It is found in coastal and sub-coastal south-eastern Australia.
The blue-faced honeyeater, also colloquially known as the Bananabird, is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae. It is the only member of its genus, and it is most closely related to honeyeaters of the genus Melithreptus. Three subspecies are recognised. At around 29.5 cm (11.6 in) in length, the blue-faced species is large for a honeyeater. Its plumage is distinctive, with olive upperparts, white underparts, and a black head and throat with white nape and cheeks. Males and females are similar in external appearance. Adults have a blue area of bare skin on each side of the face readily distinguishing them from juveniles, which have yellow or green patches of bare skin.
The red-browed pardalote is a small brightly coloured insectivorous passerine, endemic to Australia. A gleaning specialist, they forage primarily in eucalypt trees . The Latin word rubricatus means 'red-ochred' which is descriptive of their orange-red eyebrow. Other common names include red-browed diamondbird, bellbird, cape red-browed, pale red-browed, fawn-eyed, fawn-eyebrowed and pallid or red-lored pardalote.
Lewin's honeyeater is a bird that inhabits the ranges along the east coast of Australia. It has a semicircular ear-patch, pale yellow in colour.
The scarlet myzomela or scarlet honeyeater is a small passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to Australia. It was first described by English ornithologist John Latham in 1801. At 9 to 11 cm long, it is the smallest honeyeater in Australia. It has a short tail and relatively long down-curved bill. It is sexually dimorphic; the male is a striking bright red with black wings, while the female is entirely brown. The species is more vocal than most honeyeaters, and a variety of calls have been recorded, including a bell-like tinkling.
The white-naped honeyeater is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to eastern Australia. Birds from southwestern Australia have been shown to be a distinct species, Gilbert's honeyeater, and the eastern birds are more closely related to the black-headed honeyeater of Tasmania. One of several similar species of black-headed honeyeaters in the genus Melithreptus, it dwells in dry sclerophyll eucalypt woodland. Its diet consists of nectar from various flowers, and it also feeds on insects.
The white-plumed honeyeater is a small passerine bird endemic to Australia. White-plumed honeyeaters are common around water and are often seen in backyards and suburbs with vegetation cover.
The yellow-faced honeyeater is a small to medium-sized bird in the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae. It takes its common and scientific names from the distinctive yellow stripes on the sides of its head. Its loud, clear call often begins twenty or thirty minutes before dawn. It is widespread across eastern and southeastern Australia, in open sclerophyll forests from coastal dunes to high-altitude subalpine areas, and woodlands along creeks and rivers. Comparatively short-billed for a honeyeater, it is thought to have adapted to a diet of flies, spiders, and beetles, as well as nectar and pollen from the flowers of plants, such as Banksia and Grevillea, and soft fruits. It catches insects in flight as well as gleaning them from the foliage of trees and shrubs.
The yellow-tufted honeyeater is a passerine bird found in the south-east ranges of Australia. A predominantly black and yellow honeyeater, it is split into four subspecies.
The white-throated honeyeater is a bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to New Guinea and eastern and northern Australia. It is 11.5 to 14.5 cm long, olive-green above and white below, with a black head, a white or pale blue patch over the eye, and a white stripe across the nape.
The brown honeyeater is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It belongs to the honeyeaters, a group of birds which have highly developed brush-tipped tongues adapted for nectar feeding. Honeyeaters are found mainly in Australia, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia, but the brown honeyeater is unique in that it also occurs on the island of Bali, making it the only honeyeater to be found west of the Wallace Line, the biogeographical boundary between the Australian-Papuan and Oriental zoogeographical regions.
The singing honeyeater is a small bird found in Australia, and is part of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. The bird lives in a wide range of shrubland, woodland, and coastal habitat. It is relatively common and is widespread right across Australia west of the Great Dividing Range, through to the west coast and on Western Australian coastal islands. It does not occur in other countries.
The yellow chat is a small passerine bird endemic to Australia. They are known for their remarkable adaptions that aid their survival in their arid habitat.
The crescent honeyeater is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to southeastern Australia. A member of the genus Phylidonyris, it is most closely related to the common New Holland honeyeater and the white-cheeked honeyeater. Two subspecies are recognized, with P. p. halmaturinus restricted in range to Kangaroo Island and the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia.
The grey-headed honeyeater is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to Australia.
Meliphaga is a genus of birds in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae.
The brown-headed honeyeater is a species of passerine bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation.
The black-chinned honeyeater is a species of passerine bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to Australia. Two subspecies are recognised. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical dry forests.
The red-headed myzomela or red-headed honeyeater is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It was described by John Gould in 1840. Two subspecies are recognised, with the nominate race M. e. erythrocephala distributed around the tropical coastline of Australia, and M. e. infuscata in New Guinea. Though widely distributed, the species is not abundant within this range. While the IUCN lists the Australian population of M. e. infuscata as being near threatened, as a whole the widespread range means that its conservation is of least concern.
The Kimberley honeyeater is a bird in the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae. It was formerly lumped with the white-lined honeyeater but, based on a genetic analysis, it is now considered a separate species. Articles published in 2014 and 2015 provided evidence that the Kimberley and white-lined honeyeaters differ not only genetically, but also in song and foraging ecology. The specific epithet honours the Australian chemist and ornithologist Dr Julian Ralph Ford (1932-1987).