18 |
![]() |
Painted HoneyeaterSize: 15.5-16 cm Weight: 18-25 g |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
|
||||||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Photos |
![]() |
ADULT |
![]() |
MALE |
Full-frontal view of an adult Painted Honeyeater; the black
helmet suggests that this may be a male (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, November 2018]
Frontal view of a male(?) Painted Honeyeater
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, November 2017]
Frontal view of a male(?) Painted Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ah Chow Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2017]
Male(?) Painted Honeyeater seen
calling
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, November 2017]
Ventral view of a male(?) Painted Honeyeater
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, November 2017]
This view of a male(?) Painted Honeyeater shows clearly the edge lining on
the wing and tail feathers
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, November 2017]
![]() |
FEMALE |
Frontal view of a Painted Honeyeater; the brownish upperparts
may indicate that this is a female (photo courtesy of A. Allnutt)
[Lake Cargelligo, NSW, January 2019]
Near-lateral view of a female(?) Painted Honeyeater
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, November 2017]
Sex unknown |
Painted Honeyeater in a casuarina tree...
[Near Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
... the same Painted Honeyeater as above, now at a somewhat
private moment (note droplets below the bird...)
[Near Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
![]() |
IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Lateral view of a juvenile Painted Honeyeater, characterised by
the partly dark bill and the absence of streaking
[Near Narrabri, NSW, February 2008]
Ventral view of a juvenile Painted Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ah Chow Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2017]
View of the underbelly of a juvenile Painted Honeyeater
[Near Narrabri, NSW, February 2008]
The pinkish lores and short tail indicate that this is a fledgling
Painted Honeyeater; again the bill is partly dark and there are no
streaks or spots on the breast
[Near Narrabri, NSW, February 2008]
![]() |
Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Territorial? | Mobility: Migratory/dispersive | Elementary unit: Solitary/pair |
![]() |
Food, Diet |
Painted Honeyeaters specialise on nectar from various types of mistletoe. We have seen them in mistletoe in casuarinas and eucalypts.
There is a separate page describing how a Painted Honeyeater peels a mistletoe fruit.
Immature Painted Honeyeater feeding on the nectar of needle-leaf
mistletoe blossoms
in a casuarina tree
[Near Narrabri, NSW, February 2008]
Where there is good food, fair numbers of Painted Honeyeater can appear
(in this case round about 20, 3 of which are seen here in a dead treetop)
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2013]
Painted Honeyeaters' favourite food - nectar from the flowers of a
casuarina, with
flowering mistletoe
[Near Narrabri, NSW, February 2008]
Painted Honeyeaters' favourite food - nectar from the flowers of a
casuarina, with
flowering mistletoe
[Near Narrabri, NSW, February 2008]
This Painted Honeyeater was observed feeding on the fruit of
mistletoe in a
casuarina;
the technique it used is described
HERE
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, November 2017]
Painted Honeyeater feeding on the fruit of
mistletoe in a
casuarina;
the technique it used is described
HERE
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, November 2017]
Painted Honeyeater holding a peeled
mistletoe fruit
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, November 2017]
![]() |
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.
painted_20171027_8.m4a | (NW NSW) | Contact call? (Peaceful Dove in bkgd) | © MD | |
painted_20171027_10.m4a | (NW NSW) | Abbreviated contact call? | © MD | |
painted_20171027_1.m4a | (NW NSW) | Claiming/defending food source? | © MD | |
painted_20171027_9.m4a | (NW NSW) | Claiming/defending food source? | © MD | |
painted_20171027_4.m4a | (NW NSW) | Claiming/defending food source? | © MD | |
painted_20171027_5.m4a | (NW NSW) | Claiming/defending food source? (Q&A) | © MD | |
painted_20171027_3.m4a | (NW NSW) | Competing with Mistletoebird | © MD | |
painted_20171027_6.m4a | (NW NSW) | Competing with Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater | © MD | |
painted_20171027_7.m4a | (NW NSW) | Competing with Singing Honeyeater | © MD | |
painted_20171027_2.m4a | (NW NSW) | Various | © MD | |
painted_20171115_2.m4a | (NW NSW) | ? | © MD | |
painted_20140911.mp3 | (NW NSW) | ? | © MD | |
painted_20140911_8.mp3 | (NW NSW) | ? | © MD | |
painted_20140911_3.mp3 | (NW NSW) | ? | © MD |
More Painted Honeyeater sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.