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Macleay's Honeyeater
(Xanthotis macleayanus)
: "Yellow-streaked Honey-eater", "Mottle-plumaged Honeyeaters",
"Buff-striped Honeyeater"
Size: 19-21 cm
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Macleay's Honeyeaters are small nectar-eating birds. The head
is near-black dark brown, with the exception of a brown ring
around each eye and bold white scalloping on the back of the
head that extends down the back and onto the dark-brown wings.
The front is also heavily streaked, light-grey on olive-greenish
brown. The vent is dark olive-brown, the tail is dark-brown.
The irises are dark; the down-curved bill (which has a white
gape), the legs and feet are all dark-grey.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Macleay's
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
.
The global distribution of Macleay's Honeyeater is available
HERE
.
Macleay's Honeyeaters are endemic to Australia. Their range is
restricted to a (near-)coastal strip along Queensland's East coast,
from Black Mountain NP, just below Cape Melville, in the North
to the hill range in the hinterland of Townsville in the South.
Macleay's Honeyeaters have a preference for
rainforest and
mangrove,
but will also enter
gardens and
banana plantations.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
B. Hensen reports spotting Macleay's Honeyeaters at Rocky Creek,
Cairns, QLD, in July 2013.
R. Russell found a Macleay's Honeyeaters at Mount Molloy,
QLD, in July 2015.
M. Eaton reports finding a Macleay's Honeyeaters at Julatten,
QLD, in July 2018.
A. Lee reports spotting Macleay's Honeyeaters regularly at East
Russell, near Cairns, QLD.
A. Ross-Taylor found a Macleay's Honeyeater at Daintree NP, QLD,
in May 2022.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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Frontal view of a Macleay's Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of A. Lee)
[East Russell, near Cairns, QLD, May 2020]
Near-frontal view of a Macleay's Honeyeater; note that the bird's
face is covered with pollen(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, July 2013]
Lateral view of a Macleay's Honeyeater with its head turned away,
exposing the characteristic streaked nape of its neck
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, July 2013]
Near-dorsal view of a Macleay's Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, July 2013]
Dorsal view of a Macleay's Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, July 2013]
Ventral view of a Macleay's Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Daintree NP, QLD, May 2022]
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Food, Diet |
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Macleay's Honeyeater taking nectar from flowers; again, one
can see how the bird's head is covered with
pollen
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, July 2013]
Macleay's Honeyeater taking nectar from a
grevillea
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, July 2013]
Hand-tame (but wild!) Macleay's Honeyeater eating from a proffered
banana (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, June 2015]
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.