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18

Dusky Honeyeater

(Myzomela obscura)
Size: 12-15 cm
Weight: 10-15 g
Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Dusky Honeyeater at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "obscura"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bird Billabong, Adelaide River, Mary River NP, Top End, NT, November 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Dusky Honeyeater taking nectar (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Dusky Honeyeater with its tongue sticking out (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Dusky Honeyeater on the point of departure (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Dorsal view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Holmes Jungle Nature Park, Darwin, NT, February 2018]

Ventral view of a Dusky Honeyeater taking nectar from a flower (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Dusky Honeyeater acrobatics - "the things you do for a bit of nectar"... (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Dusky Honeyeater; note the pale gape
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Lateral view of a juvenile Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Dusky Honeyeater; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 30 May 2019
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, May 2019]

Near-frontal/ventral view of two juvenile Dusky Honeyeaters; these are the birds whose calls were recorded on 4 June 2020 (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Race "harterti"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, July 2013]

Frontal view of a Dusky Honeyeater looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hillview Court Reserve, Dayboro, QLD, May 2020]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Yungaburra, QLD, August 2023]

Near-frontal view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Maleny, QLD, August 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]

Near-frontal view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hillview Court Reserve, Dayboro, QLD, May 2020]

Close-up ventral view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Dusky Honeyeater
[Byfield NP, QLD, July 2009]

Lateral view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gunshot Creek, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Lateral view of a Dusky Honeyeater, face full of pollen(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, July 2013]

Lateral view of a peculiar Dusky Honeyeater that is either sick or in a full head moult (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hillview Court Reserve, Dayboro, QLD, May 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hillview Court Reserve, Dayboro, QLD, May 2020]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cairns, QLD, July 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Dusky Honeyeater looking sideways; note the orange gape
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Kuranda, QLD, May 2019]

Frontal/ventral view of a juvenile Dusky Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gunshot Creek, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Dusky Honeyeater feeding on nectar; the remnant yellowish gape and the tapered length of the tail feathers may indicate that this is a juvenile bird (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, Marh 2011]

Dusky Honeyeater showing its sticky tongue; the yellowish gape may indicate that this is a juvenile bird
[Byfield NP, QLD, July 2009]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jul - Mar Eggs: 2 Incubation period: 12 - 13 days Fledging age: ca. 14 days

Nest

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

Type: Suspended basket Material: Rootlets, bark fibre, dry grass, webs Height above ground: 2 - 15 m

Dusky Honeyeater nest with at least one downy chick inside (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Gurambai Walking Trail, Darwin Airport, Darwin, NT, February 2022]

Dusky Honeyeater feeding a chick (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Gurambai Walking Trail, Darwin Airport, Darwin, NT, February 2022]

Dusky Honeyeater at its nest after feeding a chick (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Gurambai Walking Trail, Darwin Airport, Darwin, NT, February 2022]

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: Off-white, with chestnut to rufous speckles Shape: Tapered oval

Food, Diet

Close-up view of a Dusky Honeyeater taking nectar from flowers (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Yungaburra, QLD, August 2023]

Dusky Honeyeater feeding on the nectar of a flower (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, July 2013]

Dusky Honeyeater taking nectar from a flower (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Dusky Honeyeater taking nectar from a flower (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Tumbling Waters, near Darwin, NT, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Dusky Honeyeater taking prey from a spider's web
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, June 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.

duskhon_pb_20191023.m4a obscura
(Darwin, NT)
Territorial call(?) © PB
duskhon_pb_20190530_2.m4a obscura
(Darwin, NT)
Contact call(?), juvenile © PB
duskhon_pb_20190530.m4a obscura
(Darwin, NT)
Contact calls(?), juvenile © PB
duskhon_pb_20200604.m4a obscura
(Darwin, NT)
Begging calls, juvenile © PB
duskhon_pb_20200614.m4a obscura
(Darwin, NT)
? © PB

More Dusky 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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