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18

Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens) Alternate name(s): "Black-face Honeyeater", "Dairy-bird", "Grape-eater", "Grey Peter", "Forrest's Honeyeater" Aboriginal name(s): Race "virescens": "dooromdoorom", "koolbot" (WA) Size: 18-22 cm; wing span ca. 25 cm Weight: 20-39 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 Singing Honeyeaters are small to medium-sized nectar-eating birds. Their most prominent feature are conspicuous black eye stripes above a narrow yellow line and a white line on each side of the head. They have a white front from throat to undertail coverts, with the chest and part of the belly streaked with yellow and grey feathers. The back, from the crown to the tail, is mostly grey. Only the flight feathers have olive-green leading edges. The undertail is light-grey. The irises are dark-brown. The slightly down-curved bill is dark-grey, while the legs and feet are grey. Twitcher's tip Compared with Varied Honeyeaters, Singing Honeyeaters are much less yellow down their front. Compared with Mangrove Honeyeaters, they are much less grey and lighter of colour down their front.

Taxonomy, classification See Singing Honeyeater at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information The classification of Australian honeyeater species, mainly in the genus "Lichenostomus", has undergone a major revision, with many species now moved into several newly defined genera (Gavicalis, Stomiopera, Ptilotula, Nesoptilotis).

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 Singing Honeyeater is available HERE . NB: Reports on ebird of birds submitted by birdwatchers from the Australian Outback tend to be clustered along roads and public areas such as camp grounds; in such cases their distribution is not a good representation of the overall distribution of the species. Singing Honeyeaters are endemic to Australia. For details about the four different races of Singing Honeyeaters please see a field guide. Together they occupy almost the entire Australian continent, with the following exceptions. They are not found in the far North of the NT, Cape York peninsula, QLD, and the entire eastern seaboard and the Great Dividing Range, down to about Melbourne, VIC in the South. There are no Singing Honeyeaters in Tasmania either. Nominate race "virescens" populates the (near-)coastal areas from about Carnarvon, WA, via Merredin, WA, through the Nullarbor to about the base of Eyre peninsula in SA. Race "sonorus" is found from Eyre peninsula, SA, through south-eastern SA, inland VIC (and a narrow coastal strip to Melbourne), inland NSW and QLD (eastward of a line connecting Broken Hill with the tip of Cape York peninsula). The entire rest of the continent, except for the Top End of the NT, is populated by race "forresti". Only the southern half of the Top End, northward of Katherine, NT, plus two offshore islands are populated by the remaining race, "cooperi". It is worth noting that Singing Honeyeaters are so well-adapted to arid environments that they can exist and breed in all of Australia's deserts and the Nullarbor. Singing Honeyeaters can usually be found in low shrubs and trees, both in the interior and along the coastline. They have a preference for Eremophilas, Grevilleas and Bottlebrushes, where present. They are normally not found in dense forest. 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 Singing 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 "virescens" Singing Honeyeaters, nominate race "virescens", were spotted by J. Greaves at Dianella, Perth, WA, in December 2014. Singing Honeyeaters, nominate race "virescens", were also found by J. Greaves at Cook, SA, on the edge of the Nullarbor, in June 2016, and at Shark Bay, WA, in May 2018. M. Eaton reports finding Singing Honeyeaters, nominate race "virescens", near Cockburn, WA, in April 2019. M. Mearns found Singing Honeyeaters, nominate race "virescens", in Diamantina NP, QLD, in August 2019. C. Pears reports spotting Singing Honeyeaters, nominate race "virescens", regularly in Perth, WA. Race "sonorus" Singing Honeyeaters, race "sonorus", were a rare sight at the place where we lived in 2003-2006, 20 km South of Narrabri, NSW. Since we arrived in 2007, Singing Honeyeaters, race "sonorus" are permanent residents at Eulah Creek, 20 km East of Narrabri, NSW, in the foothills of the Nandewar Range. Singing Honeyeaters, race "sonorus", are regularly seen and heard by A. Lines at Ashley, NSW. Singing Honeyeaters, race "sonorus", were also spotted by us in Flinders Ranges NP, SA, in March 2008. M. Mearns reports spotting Singing Honeyeaters, race "sonorus", at Currawinya NP, near Hungerford, QLD, in October 2008. R. Plumtree reports spotting Singing Honeyeaters, race "sonorus", near Mt. Gambier, SA, in October 2016. M. Eaton found Singing Honeyeaters, race "sonorus", in Torquay and Port Fairy, VIC, in April 2022. More were spotted at Arid Lands Botanical Garden, Port Augusta, SA, in June 2022. Race "forresti" J. Greaves reports spotting Singing Honeyeaters, race "forresti", at the Granites Gold Mine, inland NT, in June 2015, and at Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, in August 2016. B. Hensen reports finding a Singing Honeyeater, race "forresti", at Desert Wildlife Park, Alice Springs, in July 2018. P. Brown found a Singing Honeyeater, race "forresti", along the Victoria Highway, NT, in September 2020. Another was found along the Tablelands Highway, NT, in September 2021. M. Eaton spotted Singing Honeyeaters, race "forresti", at Mount Isa, QLD, in June 2021. found a Singing Honeyeater, race "forresti", at Adels Grove, QLD, in December 2020.

Photos

Race "virescens"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Singing Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Cockburn, WA, April 2019]

Frontal view of a Singing Honeyeater looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Cockburn, WA, April 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Singing Honeyeater (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Shark Bay, WA, May 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Singing Honeyeater (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Shark Bay, WA, May 2018]

Lateral view of a Singing Honeyeater (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Cook, SA, June 2016]

Lateral view of a Singing Honeyeater taking nectar (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, October 2022]

Dorsal view of a Singing Honeyeater (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, October 2022]

Race "sonorus"

ADULT

PAIR

Pair of Singing Honeyeaters at a local bird bath
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2023]

Sex unknown

Close-up frontal portrait of an adult Singing Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2019]

Close-up frontal portrait of a Singing Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2021]

Close-up frontal portrait of a Singing Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2021]

Close-up frontal view of a Singing Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Singing Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Singing Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2007]

Near-frontal view of a Singing Honeyeater straight out of the bathtub
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2017]

Near-lateral view of a Singing Honeyeater looking at the observer
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2023]

Lateral view of a Singing Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2013]

Near-lateral view of a Singing Honeyeater issuing its contact call (a short, high-pitched trill)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2012]

Lateral view of a Singing Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2013]

Lateral view of a Singing Honeyeater looking for insects on the underside of leaves
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2007]

Close-up lateral view of a Singing Honeyeater looking away from the observer
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a Singing Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2013]

Near-dorsal view of a Singing Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Arid Lands Botanical Garden, Port Augusta, SA, June 2022]

Dorsal view of a Singing Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2022]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up frontal view of a juvenile Singing Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2020]

Close-up near-frontal view of a juvenile Singing Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2020]

Lateral/ventral view of a juvenile Singing Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2011]

Frontal/ventral view of a fledgling Singing Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2008]

Fledgling Singing Honeyeater as it ventured out of its nest for the first time; minutes later it flew into a nearby tree
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2008]

Race "forresti"

ADULT

Frontal view of an adult Singing Honeyeater (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Desert Wildlife Park, Alice Springs, NT, July 2018]

Close-up frontal view of a Singing Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Close-up frontal view of a Singing Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Frontal/ventral view of a Singing Honeyeater in a grevillea (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[The Granites Gold Mine, inland NT, June 2015]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Singing Honeyeater (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Victoria Highway, NT, September 2020]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Singing Honeyeater (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Tablelands Highway, NT, September 2021]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Singing Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Close-up lateral view of a Singing Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile Singing Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Lateral view of a fledgling Singing Honeyeater, left, with one of its parents on the right (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, August 2016]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jul - Feb

Eggs: 2 - 3

Incubation period: 14 days

Fledging age: ca. 15 days

Given the right conditions, Singing Honeyeaters can breed any time of the year.

Nest

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

Type: Suspended basket

Material: Grass, webs

Height above ground: 0.5 - 5

Singing Honeyeater nest in an oleander bush
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2008]

The same Singing Honeyeater nest as above, with two chicks on the point of leaving; they were already practicing their wingbeat when this photo was taken - the next morning they were gone
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2008]

View of an incubating Singing Honeyeater on its nest in a Callistemon (bottlebrush) tree, where nest and bird are extremely well hidden; the bird stayed on the nest while an Australian Raven, having notice the activities going on in the tree, was just 2 m away, looking for the nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]

From the eggs shown below, two Singing Honeyeater chicks grew that, at about one week old, were still downy, with their eyes closed and completely silent
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]

From the eggs shown below, two Singing Honeyeater chicks grew that, at about one week old, were still downy, with their eyes closed and completely silent
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]

Like many other bird species, in particular those that are being predated on, Singing Honeyeaters keep their nest clean; after feeding a chick, the parent bird sticks around to see whether a back side is being lifted...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]

... and if so, the poo bag is being disposed of immediately
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]

Singing Honeyeater nestling sitting on the edge of the nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]

Singing Honeyeater hatchlings in their nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2018]

Singing Honeyeater hatchlings in their nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2018]

We have noticed that Singing Honeyeaters, not only when the nestlings are near fledging age, approach the nest from high above and bend far down to feed the chicks
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]

Eggs

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

Size: 23 x 16 mm

Colour: Creamy, with tiny light-brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

View from above into a Singing Honeyeater nest in a Callistemon (bottlebrush) tree with two eggs in it
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]

View from above into a Singing Honeyeater nest in a Callistemon (bottlebrush) tree with two eggs in it
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2018]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair

At the two places where we live(d), we observe(d) an anti-coincidence of Singing Honeyeaters and White-plumed Honeyeaters.

Very rare sight: A Singing Honeyeater looking for insects under the roof of our patio; note the beautiful display of a passerine foothold
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2013]

This immature Singing Honeyeater (one can still see its yellow gape) was exploring its mirror image in a window
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2013]

Food, Diet

Adults: Nectar, insects

Dependents: Insects

Water intake: Daily

Like many other honeyeaters, Singing Honeyeaters do not exclusively feed on nectar, but take insects too. While previously we had seen them looking for insects in trees and bushes only, the photo below shows a bird foraging on our lawn - behaviour we do not regularly observe from honeyeaters.

Singing Honeyeater feeding in a bottlebrush tree
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2013]

Singing Honeyeater feeding in a bottlebrush tree, here seen from a different angle
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2015]

Singing Honeyeater feeding from a Grevillea flower
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2007]

Singing Honeyeater taking nectar from Mistletoe
[Near Mungindi, NSW, June 2013]

Singing Honeyeater at full stretch hunting for insects in the bark of a tree
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2009]

Singing Honeyeater searching for insects on the ground
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2011]

It was surprising to find Singing Honeyeaters, amongst other honeyeater species, taking the fruit of this Pittosporum(?) shrub
[Near Bugilbone, NSW, May 2017]

Singing Honeyeater scavenging food from humans (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Shark Bay, WA, May 2018]

Close-up lateral view of a Singing Honeyeater scooping up water (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Singing Honeyeater drinking water from a shallow puddle (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Currawinya NP, QLD, October 2008]

Singing Honeyeater drinking from a waterhole together with a Striped Honeyeater, centre, and a White-eared Honeyeater, back right
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2019]

Singing Honeyeater having a drink at a bird bath
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2008]

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.

singhon_20170831.m4a	sonorus (NW NSW)	Contact calls	© MD
singhon_20170912.m4a	sonorus (NW NSW)	Modified contact calls(?)	© MD
singhon_20140324.mp3	sonorus (NW NSW)	Contact call	© MD
singhon_20140107.mp3	sonorus (NW NSW)	Contact call(?)	© MD
singhon_20140324_2.mp3	sonorus (NW NSW)	Q&A	© MD
singhon_20140220_3.mp3	sonorus (NW NSW)	Answer call	© MD
singhon_20160105.mp3	sonorus (NW NSW)	Territorial calls?	© MD
singhon_20160123.mp3	sonorus (NW NSW)	Territorial calls?	© MD
singhon_20210117.m4a	sonorus (NW NSW)	Territorial calls (break of dawn)	© MD
singhon_20210117_2.m4a	sonorus (NW NSW)	Territorial calls (break of dawn; long sequence)	© MD
singhon_20191216.m4a	sonorus (NW NSW)	Alarm calls (Grey Butcherbird)	© MD
singhon_20200302.m4a	cyanotis (NW NSW)	Alarm calls (goanna)	© MD
blufhon_20200302.m4a	cyanotis (NW NSW)	Alarm calls (goanna; with Blue-faced Honeyeater)	© MD
singhon_20140203.mp3	sonorus (NW NSW)	Warning call	© MD
singhon_20140715_3.mp3	sonorus (NW NSW)	Warning calls	© MD
singhon_20200731.m4a	sonorus (NW NSW)	Family foraging	© MD
singhon_20170427.mp3	sonorus (NW NSW)	Defending food source	© MD
singhon_20140310.mp3	sonorus (NW NSW)	Fighting in-flight	© MD
willie_20200120.m4a	sonorus (NW NSW)	Interacting with Willie Wagtail	© MD
singhon_20200107.m4a	sonorus (NW NSW)	Begging calls (juvenile)	© MD
singhon_20180122_2.m4a	sonorus (NW NSW)	Parent at nest + begging nestlings	© MD
singhon_20180122_3.m4a	sonorus (NW NSW)	Begging calls (nestlings)	© MD
singhon_20200413.m4a	sonorus (NW NSW)	Various (family of 4)	© MD
singhon_20140307.mp3	sonorus (NW NSW)	Various	© MD
singhon_20140206.mp3	sonorus (NW NSW)	?	© MD
singhon_20200211.m4a	sonorus (NW NSW)	?	© MD

Click here for more recordings

Below a recording of three different species of honeyeaters competing for territorial supremacy: First to call is a Singing Honeyeater, with answers from a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater and then also a pair of Striped Honeyeaters.

singhon_20150911.mp3

(NW NSW)

Competing territorial calls

© MD

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

singhon_20140715_7.mp3	sonorus (NW NSW)	Weaving	© MD
singhon_20140715_4.mp3	sonorus (NW NSW)	Squabbling (food competition)	© MD

More Singing 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: Tue, 21 November 2023, 6:59 +00:00