- Ptilotula penicillatus
Lichenostomus penicillatus
Identification
13·5–18 cm (5½-7 in)
- Yellow head
- Yellowish-olive to grey upperparts
- Light brownish-grey underparts
- White neck-plume
- Slightly down-curved black bill
Sexes similar, but the female is slightly smaller.
Young are duller, with less distinct plumes and a paler bill.
Photo © by Rose Fletcher
Nangawooka Flora Reserve, Victor Harbor, South Australia, April 2008
Distribution
Australia: found in New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, and Tasmania
Taxonomy
Formerly placed in the genus Lichenostomus.
Subspecies
Four subspecies recognized:
- P. p. penicillata in south-eastern Australia
- P. p. leilavalensis in central Australia
- P. p. carteri from central coast of Western Australia to south-western Northern Territory
- P. p. calconi from Broome, Western Australia to Victoria River, Northern Territory
Habitat
Dry open sclerophyll forests and riparian woodlands and wetlands. It is strongly associated with eucalyptus trees.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet consists of nectar, arthropods, insects, manna and fruit, with some seeds. They feed in the crown of trees and in shrubs between 5 m and 13 m from the ground.
Breeding
The small cup-shaped nest is probably built by the female; woven from grass and spider's web. It is lined with wool, feathers or hair and positioned in the crown of a tree. While the female incubates the eggs, both adults feed the young, sometimes with the assistance of helpers. Two, maybe three clutches are laid each year.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved November 2015)
- Birds in Backyards
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) White-plumed Honeyeater. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 September 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-plumed_Honeyeater
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
