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18

Scarlet Honeyeater

(Myzomela sanguinolenta)
Alternate name(s): "Sanguineous Honeyeater", "Bloodbird*", "Crimson Honeyeater", "Scarlet Myzomela"
Size: 10-11 cm
Weight: 6-12 g

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 Scarlet Myzomela at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "sanguinolenta"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Scarlet Honeyeater (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Doctors Flat Road, Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, November 2014]

Near-lateral view of a male Scarlet Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Kingaroy, QLD, April 2020]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a male Scarlet Honeyeater issuing its call (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2012]

Lateral view of a male Scarlet Honeyeater in a grevillea (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2012]

Lateral view of a male Scarlet Honeyeater in a grevillea (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2012]

Lateral view of a male Scarlet Honeyeater (photo courtesy of J. Higgins)
[Avoca, VIC, October 2013]

Lateral view of a male Scarlet Honeyeater (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, October 2016]

Partly obscured lateral view of a male Scarlet Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Kingaroy, QLD, May 2020]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Scarlet Honeyeater (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2014]

Near-dorsal view of a male Scarlet Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Anstead, QLD, July 2017]

Male Scarlet Honeyeater hanging from a grevillea flower (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2012]

This male Scarlet Honeyeater is probably moulting into its first adult plumage (photo courtesy of M. Adam-Cross)
[Yarramundi, NSW, January 2014]

This male Scarlet Honeyeater is probably moulting into its first adult plumage (photo courtesy of M. Adam-Cross)
[Yarramundi, NSW, January 2014]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Scarlet Honeyeater (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2012]

Near-frontal view of a female Scarlet Honeyeater (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2012]

PAIR

Pair of Scarlet Honeyeaters at a waterhole (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, August 2017]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of an immature male Scarlet Honeyeater moulting into adult plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Maleny, QLD, August 2019]

Frontal view of a juvenile female Scarlet Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Anstead, QLD, July 2017]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Scarlet Honeyeater; note the absence of orange-red feathers around the forehead and their scarcity around the throat, indicating that this is probably a young male (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, July 2012]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile female Scarlet Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Anstead, QLD, July 2017]

Lateral view of a juvenile female Scarlet Honeyeater (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Kyogle, NSW, August 2013]

Lateral view of a juvenile female Scarlet Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Anstead, QLD, July 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile female Scarlet Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Anstead, QLD, July 2017]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial Mobility: Dispersive Elementary unit: Pair

Food, Diet

Male Scarlet Honeyeater feeding on nectar (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hillview Court Reserve, Dayboro, QLD, May 2020]

Lateral view of a male Scarlet Honeyeater feeding on the nectar of a grevillea (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, July 2012]

Male Scarlet Honeyeater feeding on nectar from flowers of a box gum eucalypt
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, September 2012]

Immature male Scarlet Honeyeater visiting a budding flower (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, August 2017]

Male Scarlet Honeyeater drinking from a waterhole (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, August 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.

scarhon_me_20191222.m4a sanguinolenta
(SE QLD)
Contact calls (pair Q&A) © ME
scarhon_20200531_2.m4a sanguinolenta
(NW NSW)
Contact call? (female) © MD
scarhon_20200531.m4a sanguinolenta
(NW NSW)
Territorial call (male) © MD
scarhon_20200531_4.m4a sanguinolenta
(NW NSW)
Territorial calls (male) © MD
scarhon_20210409.m4a sanguinolenta
(NW NSW)
Territorial calls (male) © MD
scarhon_20200609_3.m4a sanguinolenta
(NW NSW)
Competing for food source © MD
scarhon_20200609_4.m4a sanguinolenta
(NW NSW)
Males squabbling © MD
scarhon_20170810.m4a sanguinolenta
(NW NSW)
Various (plus some bkgd calls) © MD
scarhon_20160920.m4a sanguinolenta
(NE NSW)
? © MD
scarhon_20210808.m4a sanguinolenta
(NW NSW)
? © MD

More Scarlet 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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If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.