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18

Brown-headed Honeyeater

(Melithreptus brevirostris)
Aboriginal name(s): Race "leucogenys": "djiok*", "berilberil*" (WA)
Size: 13-14 cm
Weight: 11-20 g (heaviest at the southern end of their range)

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Brown-headed Honeyeater at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "brevirostris"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an an adult Brown-headed Honeyeater
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, September 2017]

Frontal view of a Brown-headed Honeyeater
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, September 2017]

Frontal view of a Brown-headed Honeyeater issuing its territorial call
[Bullawa Creek SCA, NSW, September 2010]

Frontal view of a Brown-headed Honeyeater, now producing a much softer, guttural call
[Bullawa Creek SCA, NSW, September 2010]

Near-frontal view of an a Brown-headed Honeyeater
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of an a Brown-headed Honeyeater approaching a waterhole
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Brown-headed Honeyeater
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, September 2017]

Near-lateral view of an a Brown-headed Honeyeater
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Brown-headed Honeyeater hiding in a dense shrub
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2013]

Lateral view of a Brown-headed Honeyeater approaching a waterhole
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, March 2009]

Dorsal view of a Brown-headed Honeyeater
[Bullawa Creek SCA, NSW, September 2010]

Brown-headed Honeyeater hovering above a waterhole
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, September 2013]

Honeyeater variety bash: Brown-headed on the right, White-eared at the centre and Yellow-faced on the left
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, May 2011]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Family of Brown-headed Honeyeaters at a waterhole...
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, May 2011]

... on the left-hand side one can see a juvenile Brown-headed Honeyeater; note the orange bill and bluish-grey eye skin crescent
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, May 2011]

Closer look at a fledgling Brown-headed Honeyeater approaching a waterhole
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, December 2011]

Three fledgling Brown-headed Honeyeaters waiting to be fed by their parents
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, November 2008]

Two of the three fledgling Brown-headed Honeyeaters shown above, preening
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, November 2008]

Race "pallidiceps"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an an adult Brown-headed Honeyeater
[Gundabooka NP, NSW, September 2017]

Near-lateral view of an a Brown-headed Honeyeater
[Gundabooka NP, NSW, September 2017]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial Mobility: Dispersive Elementary unit: Family clan/small flock

Food, Diet

Brown-headed Honeyeater feeding on the nectar of a Swamp Mahogany
[Munmorah SCA, NSW, July 2013]

Brown-headed Honeyeater searching for insects in an ironbark eucalypt
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2013]

Brown-headed Honeyeater prying an insect out of the bark of an eucalypt (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2019]

This Brown-headed Honeyeater has caught an insect
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, July 2013]

Brown-headed Honeyeater foraging for insects; this is one of the birds whose calls were recorded on 20 December 2014
[Near Barraba, NSW, December 2014]

Brown-headed Honeyeaters having a drink (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, November 2018]

Brown-headed Honeyeater approaching a waterhole; this is one of the Brown-headed Honeyeaters whose calls were recorded on 11 December 2019
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, December 2019]

Three species of honeyeaters having a drink: Brown-headed Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater and White-eared Honeyeater
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, November 2018]

Brown-headed Honeyeaters approaching a waterhole together with a White-eared Honeyeater
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, September 2019]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

brhdhon_20170903.m4a brevirostris
(NW NSW)
Contact calls(?) © MD
brhdhon_20181127_3.m4a brevirostris
(NW NSW)
Contact calls(?) © MD
brhdhon_20181127.m4a brevirostris
(NW NSW)
Contact calls(?) © MD
brhdhon_20141220_3.mp3 brevirostris
(NW NSW)
Warning call © MD
brhdhon_20181127_4.m4a brevirostris
(NW NSW)
Annoyed/upset © MD
brhdhon_20141220_8.mp3 brevirostris
(NW NSW)
Feeding calls(?) © MD
brhdhon_20191211.m4a brevirostris
(NW NSW)
Various © MD
brhdhon_20210909.m4a brevirostris
(NW NSW)
? (foraging for insects; + Grey Fantail) © MD
brhdhon_20191211_2.m4a brevirostris
(NW NSW)
? © MD
 
brhdhon_20170920.m4a pallidiceps
(W NSW)
Contact calls(?) © MD

More Brown-headed Honeyeater sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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