- Sugomel nigrum
Certhionyx niger
Identification
Male
- Black head, neck, wings and upperparts
- White underbody, apart from a vertical black stripe through centre of chest
- Long slender down-curved bill
Female
- Brown head and upper body
- Pale eye-stripe
- Freckled grey-brown chest which fades into a white abdomen.
Distribution
Arid central Australia, to coasts in central Western Australia
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Open woodlands and shrublands of arid and semi-arid regions.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes insects and nectar, especially eucalypts, mistletoe and the Emu-bush, Eremophila.
Breeding
The nest is built by the female. It consists of a shallow open cup formed from twigs and grasses. It is bound together with spiders web. It is lined with soft materials such as horse hair and wool. The female incubates the eggs, with both adults caring for the young.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Birds in Backyards
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black Honeyeater. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 10 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black_Honeyeater
