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Black Honeyeater
(Sugomel [Certhionyx] niger)
Aboriginal name(s): "dwerdangokngonin" (WA)
Size: 10-12 cm
Weight: 9-12 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Black Honeyeaters are very small nectar-eating birds. Their
plumage is
dimorphic, i.e.
males and
females
are different.
Male
Black Honeyeaters have an all-black head and back, and
also a black throat, chest and wide vertical frontal stripe.
Only the shoulders, the flanks, belly, vent and undertail
coverts are white. The long, slightly down-curved bill is black.
Female
Black Honeyeaters have a greyish-brown crown and back, with darker
greyish-brown flight feathers. They have a greyish-brown narrow
eye stripe on a lighter greyish-brown face, the colour of which
continues into the chest that has some faint brown streaking. The
throat, belly and vent are near-white. The long, slightly
down-curved bill is grey.
The irises of both sexes are dark-brown and the legs and feet
are grey.
Juvenile
Black Honeyeaters are similar to females.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Together with Banded
Honeyeaters and Pied
Honeyeaters, Black Honeyeaters are one of three small black-and-white
honeyeater species found in Australia. Of these three, Black
Honeyeaters are the only ones with a long, vertical black stripe
down the front.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Black
Honeyeater at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
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The global distribution of the Black Honeyeater is available
HERE
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NB:
Reports on ebird of birds submitted by birdwatchers from
the Australian Outback tend to be clustered along roads
and public areas such as camp grounds; in such cases their
distribution is not a good representation of the overall
distribution of the species.
Black Honeyeaters are endemic to Australia. They are very well adapted
to life in the interior of the Australian continent. Except for the
West coast of WA, they are not found anywhere along the Australian
coastline, but almost everywhere in the interior of the continent
(for details see a field guide). They avoid the far tropical North,
the entire eastern half of QLD, the Great Dividing Range and coastal
fringe of NSW and the South coast of Australia. They are found northward
of a line connecting about Geraldton, WA, with Kalgoorlie, WA, through
the Flinders Ranges,
SA, just to the North of both Adelaide, SA, and
Melbourne, VIC. From there, their inland distribution goes as
far East as about Moree, NSW, staying westward of a line connecting
Moree with Mt. Isa, QLD, and from there southward of a line connecting
Mt. Isa with Eighty Mile Beach, WA. Within that inland range, they
are only rarely found in the Lake Eyre Basin, including Alice
Springs, NT. They also avoid the south-western part of WA.
Black Honeyeaters live mostly in arid
shrubland,
but also in riparian
woodland along
inland rivers.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Black Honeyeaters are spotted occasionally by C. Hayne since 2009
at various locations in and around Moree, NSW, e.g. at
Whittaker's Lagoon, 20 km West of Moree.
They are found in gardens at times when there are
plenty of flowering trees (especially River Coobas) out in nature.
In November 2013 about 10 birds were spotted near Ashley, NSW.
First two single Black Honeyeaters were found by us separately in
Mt. Kaputar NP,
near Narrabri, NSW, in September/October 2018; shortly after at least 8
were found at the same location as the second sighting.
D. Johnston reports spotting a Black Honeyeater in Timmallallie NP, near
Baradine, NSW, in the 1980ies.
M. Mearns found a Black Honeyeater in Diamantina NP, QLD, in
September 2019.
A single male Black Honeyeater was found by us in
Pilliga NP,
at the northern end of the
Pilliga Forest,
in December 2019.
In January 2020 a male Black Honeyeater was found in our rural
garden at
Eulah Creek, near Narrabri, NSW.
M. Eaton reports finding lots of Black Honeyeaters at Kilcowera
Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, in June 2020.
The species was also found at Windorah, QLD, in August 2022.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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Frontal view of a male Black Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]
Near-frontal/ventral view of a male Black Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]
Near-lateral view of a male Black Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]
Lateral view of a male Black Honeyeater looking towards the observer
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]
Lateral view of a male Black Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]
Lateral view of a male Black Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]
Lateral view of a male Black Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Windorah, QLD, August 2022]
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FEMALE |
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Frontal view of a female Black Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]
Frontal view of a female Black Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]
Frontal view of a female Black Honeyeater looking sideways
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]
Lateral view of a female Black Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a female Black Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a female Black Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]
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PAIR |
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Pair of Black Honeyeaters - male below, female above
[Mt. Kaputar
NP, near Narrabri, NSW, October 2018]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Juvenile Black Honeyeater feeding in a River Cooba tree
(photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Whittaker's Lagoon, NSW, December 2013]
Juvenile Black Honeyeater feeding in a River Cooba tree
(photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Whittaker's Lagoon, NSW, December 2013]
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Food, Diet |
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Black Honeyeaters feed exclusively on nectar. They have a preference
for Eremophila
("Emu-bush") plants.
Black Honeyeater taking nectar from a
eucalypt tree
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, June 2020]
Three Black Honeyeaters feeding on the nectar of a
eucalypt tree
[Mt. Kaputar
NP, near Narrabri, NSW, October 2018]
Eight Black Honeyeaters drinking water from an abandoned farm
dam
[Mt. Kaputar
NP, near Narrabri, NSW, October 2018]
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Call(s)/Song |
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For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own; are welcome.
More Black Honeyeater sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
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