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18

Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta) Alternate name(s): "Least Honeyeater" Aboriginal name(s): Race "indistincta": "djindjoko", "kyeet" (WA) Size: 12-16 cm; wing span 18-23 cm Weight: 9-11 g

Australia: Family Group 18 Family Group 18 Table Yellow Wattlebird Red Wattlebird Little Wattlebird Western Wattlebird Regent Honeyeater Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Striped Honeyeater Helmeted Friarbird Silver-crowned Friarbird Noisy Friarbird Little Friarbird Blue-faced Honeyeater Bell Miner Yellow-throated Miner Noisy Miner Macleay's Honeyeater Tawny-breasted Honeyeater Yellow-spotted Honeyeater Lewin's Honeyeater Yellow-faced Honeyeater Graceful Honeyeater Bridled Honeyeater Eungella Honeyeater Singing Honeyeater Mangrove Honeyeater Varied Honeyeater White-lined Honeyeater White-gaped Honeyeater White-eared Honeyeater Yellow Honeyeater Yellow-throated Honeyeater Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Purple-gaped Honeyeater Grey-headed Honeyeater Yellow-plumed Honeyeater Grey-fronted Honeyeater Fuscous Honeyeater Yellow-tinted Honeyeater White-plumed Honeyeater Brown Honeyeater Bar-breasted Honeyeater Brown-backed Honeyeater Rufous-throated Honeyeater Grey Honeyeater Tawny-crowned Honeyeater Rufous-banded Honeyeater New Holland Honeyeater White-cheeked Honeyeater Crescent Honeyeater White-fronted Honeyeater Painted Honeyeater Black-chinned Honeyeater White-throated Honeyeater Strong-billed Honeyeater White-naped Honeyeater Brown-headed Honeyeater Black-headed Honeyeater Eastern Spinebill Western Spinebill Banded Honeyeater Black Honeyeater Pied Honeyeater Scarlet Honeyeater Red-headed Honeyeater Dusky Honeyeater Olive-backed Sunbird Gibberbird Crimson Chat Orange Chat Yellow Chat White-fronted Chat Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Brown Honeyeaters are very small nectar-eating birds. Their overall appearance is brownish-grey. The front, from the throat downwards to the undertail coverts, is lighter greyish than the head and back, which have more brown tints. The flight feathers and uppertail feathers have olive-green outer edges. The eyes are surrounded by small blueish-grey skin patches, behind which there is a small, triangular yellow tuft. Male Brown Honeyeaters have a black gape during the breeding season and a yellow gape during the non-breeding season. Females, as juveniles, always have a yellow gape. In addition, females have a yellow spot behind each eye. The irises of both sexes are dark-brown. The long, down-curved bill is dark-grey, while the legs and feet are grey. Juveniles have smaller, if any, ear tufts.

Taxonomy, classification See Brown Honeyeater at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species 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 . The global distribution of the Brown Honeyeater is available HERE . Brown Honeyeaters are found in Australia and in southern New Guinea. There are three races of Brown Honeyeaters, which inhabit large parts of the Australian continent. The range of nominate race "indistincta" extends from the south-western corner of WA northwards along the West coast and into the catchments of the Gascoyne River, up to the Fitzroy River (they are not found in the coastal area from about Kalbarri to Lyndon, WA). Further North they occupy the Kimberley in WA and almost all of the NT, except the south-eastern corner. Their range ends along a North-South line near the tip of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Further East one finds race "ocularis", which has a range from the tip of Cape York peninsula, all through QLD (except the farthest south-western corner) and into northern NSW, down to about the Hunter River (and inland to about the Paroo and Darling River catchment). Race "melvillensis" is found only on Melville Island, just outside Darwin, NT. Brown Honeyeaters can usually be found in low, dense growth, along watercourses or in mangroves, but also in more open forest, e.g. in eucalypts. In particular, they like the flowers of Mugga Ironbark eucalypts. They adapt to the presence of humans quite well and are found in urban parks and gardens, especially in dense growth (e.g. bottlebrushes). Where to look? How to find this species? While feeding in eucalypts, honeyeaters often stay high up in the crowns of trees and are therefore hard to spot. But many species, including Brown Honeyeaters, will also visit lower plants to feed on nectar in gardens, such as e.g. Eremophila, Banksia, Grevillea or Callistemon. There they are much easier to spot.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "indistincta" We first spotted Brown Honeyeaters, race "indistincta", in various locations and around Darwin, NT, where we found them to be very common, in August 2014. Several contributors report the same findings from this area. P. Brown reports Brown Honeyeaters, race "indistincta", in and around Darwin, NT, regularly. In June/July 2017 they were found nesting in a suburban garden. They were also found at Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, in April 2018. J. Greaves reports spotting a Brown Honeyeater, race "indistincta", at Roebuck Bay, WA, in April 2015, at Ivanhoe Crossing, Kununurra, WA, in January 2016, and at Balingup, WA, in May 2016. M. Eaton found a Brown Honeyeater, race "indistincta", at Mount Isa, QLD, in June 2021. C. Pears reports first spotting a Brown Honeyeater, race "indistincta", at Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, in June 2023. Since then they are found there regularly. Race "ocularis" Brown Honeyeaters, race "ocularis", are regular visitors to bottlebrushes and other flowering plants in gardens in towns and cities in northern NSW, including inland towns, such as Narrabri. Brown Honeyeaters, race "ocularis", were first seen by us in our garden 20 km South of Narrabri, in 2005. In early spring of that year a Brown Honeyeater declared a bottlebrush tree its territory. A Brown Honeyeater, race "ocularis", re-appeared in September 2006, after a long absence during the winter. Brown Honeyeaters, race "ocularis", are also found in other areas around Narrabri, from Eulah Creek to Deriah Aboriginal Area, 20-30 km East of Narrabri, where they could be seen and heard all through the winter of 2008 (while there were flowering eucalypts), and 20 km South-West of Narrabri, to Sawn Rocks, Mt. Kaputar NP, about 35 km north-east of Narrabri. No Brown Honeyeaters came to our place at Eulah Creek, 20 km East of Narrabri, during the 2010/11 breeding season. In January 2011 they were also spotted by us on the NSW North Coast, in the area from Urunga to Hat Head. In June 2011 we also found them along other parts of the NSW coast, e.g. at Wingham, NSW. I. Duncan reports spotting Brown Honeyeaters, race "ocularis", at South West Rocks, NSW, in September 2012. A. Ross-Taylor reports seeing Brown Honeyeaters, race "ocularis", regularly at Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD. They are also regularly found in large numbers by various contributors at The Spit, Gold Coast, QLD. B. Hensen reports sighting Brown Honeyeaters, race "ocularis", in Cairns, QLD, in July 2013. M. Eaton reports finding Brown Honeyeaters, race "ocularis", in Cairns, QLD, in July 2018, and at Chili Beach, Cape York peninsula, QLD, in August 2019. Race "melvillensis" J. Greaves reports spotting a Brown Honeyeater, race "melvillensis", at Maxwell Creek, Melville Island, off Darwin, NT, in November 2016.

Photos

Race "indistincta"

ADULT

MALE

BREEDING

Close-up frontal/ventral view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, August 2023]

Near-lateral view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Balingup, WA, May 2016]

Lateral view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage in a flowering eucalypt (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, August 2023]

Most Brown Honeyeaters have a clearly visible pale-yellow skin patch behind the eyes (above), while some others don't show this feature (photos courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, June 2020]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage; note that the bird is ringed (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, December 2017]

Close-up dorsal view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage looking sideways (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, August 2023]

NON-BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a Brown Honeyeater, possibly a male in non-breeding plumage(?) - note the faint yellow gape and grey crown; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 25 February 2018 (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, February 2018]

Close-up lateral view of a Brown Honeyeater, possibly a male in non-breeding plumage(?) (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Whites Hill Reserve, Brisbane, February 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Brown Honeyeater, possibly a male in non-breeding plumage(?) (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Dorsal view of a Brown Honeyeater, possibly a male in non-breeding plumage(?)
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

FEMALE

Near-lateral view of a female Brown Honeyeater (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, February 2018]

Near-lateral view of a female Brown Honeyeater (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, February 2018]

Lateral view of a female Brown Honeyeater harvesting a spider's web, probably for binding its nest
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, February 2018]

Lateral view of a female Brown Honeyeater (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Ivanhoe Crossing, Kununurra, WA, January 2016]

Dorsal view of a female Brown Honeyeater (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, February 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Brown Honeyeater; note the yellow gape and the olive-yellow wash (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Lateral view of a juvenile(?) Brown Honeyeater (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Charles Darwin NP, Darwin, NT, January 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile(?) Brown Honeyeater
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Lateral view of a juvenile Brown Honeyeater; note the extensive yellow gape (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Race "ocularis"

Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a look here .

ADULT

MALE

BREEDING

Frontal view of a male Brown Honeyeater in its little hideaway
[Narrabri Lake, May 2012]

Frontal view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage looking sideways
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2010]

Near-frontal view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage
[Narrabri Lake, September 2011]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage; note the unusual yellow stripe down the middle of the belly
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cairns, QLD, July 2018]

Near-lateral view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Cairns, QLD, July 2013]

Lateral view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage looking at the observer
[Eulah Creek, July 2011]

Lateral view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage
[Narrabri Lake, September 2011]

Close-up lateral view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cairns, QLD, July 2018]

Lateral view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Maleny, QLD, August 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2011]

Dorsal view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, September 2013]

Lateral view of a male Brown Honeyeater in breeding plumage launching itself into the air from a Banksia flower (photo courtesy of I. Duncan)
[South West Rocks, NSW, September 2012]

NON-BREEDING

Near-frontal/ventral view of a male Brown Honeyeater in non-breeding plumage(?)
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, March 2007]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Brown Honeyeater; note the pale-yellow gape in the breeding season (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, September 2018]

Close-up near-frontal view of a female Brown Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cooroy, QLD, December 2017]

Near-lateral view of a female Brown Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Chili Beach, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

This Brown Honeyeater is going into all kinds of contortions to dry its plumage
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, December 2011]

Near-dorsal view of a female Brown Honeyeater looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2023]

PAIR

Near-frontal/near-lateral view of a pair of Brown Honeyeaters, male on the left in breeding plumage
[Eulah Creek, July 2023]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral/ventral view of a juvenile Brown Honeyeater; note the yellow-olive wash
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2021]

Lateral view of a juvenile Brown Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2021]

Lateral view of a juvenile Brown Honeyeater
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, January 2018]

Race "melvillensis"

ADULT

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female Brown Honeyeater (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Maxwell Creek, Melville Island, off Darwin, NT, November 2016]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jun - Jan

Eggs: 2 - 3

Incubation period: ca. 11 days

Fledging age: 12 - 14 days

The breeding season varies with geographical latitude. In the tropical north it runs from about April to November.

Nest building: ?

Incubation: Female

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Suspended basket

Material: Bark shreds, grass stems, webs; plant down lining

Height above ground: 1 - 5 m

Fledgling Brown Honeyeater the day before it left its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, July 2017]

Two half-naked Brown Honeyeater chicks in their nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, July 2017]

Although still half-naked, the Brown Honeyeater chicks can open their eyes (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, July 2017]

View from above into the nest of a pair of Brown Honeyeaters, with two half-naked chicks inside; the key tag gives an indication of the size of nest and chicks (photo courtesy of R. Shepherd)
[Bundaberg, QLD, October 2015]

Unhappy Brown Honeyeater watching as an human approaches their nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, July 2017]

Female Brown Honeyeater sitting on its nest (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, October 2012]

Female Brown Honeyeater with what looks like nesting material (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, May 2013]

Female Brown Honeyeater "harvesting" cob webs for binding the nest (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2013]

We once observed a Brown Honeyeater pulling sheep wool from a barbed wire fence to line its nest.

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 17 x 14 mm

Colour: Creamy

Shape: Tapered oval

View from above onto Brown Honeyeater eggs (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, October 2012]

View from above onto Brown Honeyeater eggs (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, July 2017]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Brown Honeyeaters can feed while hovering (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2012]

Food, Diet

Like many other honeyeaters, Brown Honeyeaters do not exclusively feed on nectar, but take insects too. This is one of the honeyeaters that will feed mostly on nectar. Often seen by us in various kinds of eucalypt, e.g. mugga ironbark and citriodora. They profit from the creation of urban gardens and parks.

Brown Honeyeater feeding on the nectar of eucalypt blossoms
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2011]

Male Brown Honeyeater feeding on the nectar of an ironbark eucalypt flower
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2008]

Male Brown Honeyeater feeding in a bottlebrush tree (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, October 2012]

Male Brown Honeyeater feeding in a Mistletoe
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, March 2013]

Female Brown Honeyeater feeding in a Grevillea robusta
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, March 2013]

Female Brown Honeyeater feeding in a Grevillea (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, July 2013]

Male Brown Honeyeater feeding on the nectar of a mangrove flower (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, December 2017]

Male Brown Honeyeater feeding on the nectar of a Strelitza flower (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2012]

Male Brown Honeyeater taking unripe seeds of a bottlebrush (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, October 2011]

This Brown Honeyeater was observed picking insects out of the heads of reeds - and going after them when they flew out
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2017]

Brown Honeyeater with what looks like a tiny caterpillar (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Road Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, August 2017]

Male Brown Honeyeater drinking from a pond; the birds drink in quick, small sips and do not dip their bills as deep into the water as other species
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2009]

Brown Honeyeater shooting out of a tree to take a moth (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2013]

This Brown Honeyeater was observed by us hawking for insects some 20 or 30 m up in the air
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2015]

Brown Honeyeater, left, and Fuscous Honeyeater in breeding plumage at a waterhole
[Mt. Kaputar NP, near Narrabri, NSW, October 2018]

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.

brhon_pb_20180512.m4a	indistincta (Top End, NT)	Territorial call (early morning)	© PB
brhon_pb_20180513.m4a	indistincta (Top End, NT)	Territorial calls (early morning)	© PB
brhon_20140818_5.m4a	indistincta (Top End, NT)	Territorial call	© MD
brhon_cp_20220823.mp3	indistincta (SW WA)	Territorial calls	© CP
brhon_pb_20180726.m4a	indistincta (Top End, NT)	Territorial calls (long sequence)	© PB
brhon_pb_20200612.m4a	indistincta (Top End, NT)	Break of dawn calls	© PB
brhon_20140818_5.m4a	indistincta (Top End, NT)	Territorial dispute?	© MD
brhon_pb_20180225_1.m4a	indistincta (Top End, NT)	Various (female)	© PB
brhon_pb_20180225_2.m4a	indistincta (Top End, NT)	Various (female)	© PB
brhon_20140818_3.m4a	indistincta (Top End, NT)	?	© MD
brhon_20140818.m4a	indistincta (Top End, NT)	?	© MD
brhon_20230726.mp3	ocularis (NW NSW)	Territorial calls	© MD
brhon_20200824.m4a	ocularis (NW NSW)	Territorial calls	© MD
brhon_art_20131105.m4a	ocularis (SE QLD)	Territorial calls	© ART
brhon_20161026.m4a	ocularis (NW NSW)	Territorial calls (Q&A)	© MD
brhon_20140416.mp3	ocularis (NW NSW)	Feeding call	© MD
brhon_20140722.mp3	ocularis (NW NSW)	Annoyed call	© MD
brhon_art_20131110.m4a	ocularis (SE QLD)	Defending food source	© ART
brhon_20140107_2.mp3	ocularis (NW NSW)	Defending food source	© MD
brhon_20160920.m4a	ocularis (NE NSW)	Various	© MD
brhon_20140911.mp3	ocularis (NW NSW)	?	© MD

Click here for more recordings

We have also recorded the wing beat of a Brown Honeyeater.

brhon_20230726_2.mp3

ocularis (NW NSW)

Arrival and departure

© MD

More Brown 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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Mon, 21 August 2023, 6:16 +00:00