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Spiny-cheeked HoneyeaterAlternate name(s): "Spring-cheeked Honeyeater" Size: 23-26 cm Weight: 37-57 g |
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Photos |
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here .
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ADULT |
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PAIR |
Frontal view of a breeding pair of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters
inspecting the intruder
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]
Near-frontal view of a pair of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters feeding on nectar
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2014]
Lateral view of a pair of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters
"serenading" ("Pair Q&A")
(photo courtesy of B. Kinross)
[Buntine Rocks, 230 km North of Perth, WA, September 2013]
Sex unknown |
Close-up full-frontal view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater; note the all-white
spines indicative of an adult bird
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2020]
Close-up frontal view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2023]
Frontal view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater in a
Casuarina tree, where it
was feeding on nectar from its flowers
[Near Narrabri, NSW, September 2006]
Close-up near-frontal portrait of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
[Near Narrabri, NSW, April 2017]
Close-up near-lateral portrait of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
[Moree, NSW, September 2015]
Close-up near-lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater issuing
its call
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2020]
Close-up near-lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, August 2023]
Close-up lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, October 2013]
Lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater feeding in a
Grevillea shrub
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2007]
Lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater feeding in a
Grevillea shrub
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2007]
Lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of A. Campbell)
[Mount McEuen, QLD, July 2017]
Lateral/ventral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater relaxing in a
eucalypt tree
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2007]
Distant lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater in flight
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, August 2013]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater; note
the partly yellow spines
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Bindegolly NP,
near Thargomindah, QLD, June 2020]
Frontal/ventral view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater;
in the process of moulting into its adult
plumage
it has lost all its tail feathers
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, Mayy 2017]
Near-frontal view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
(note the yellow spot)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2011]
Lateral view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
[Near Narrabri, NSW, April 2017]
Lateral view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2008]
Ventral view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater;
in the process of moulting into its adult
plumage
it has lost all its tail feathers
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, Mayy 2017]
Fledgling Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
(click on image to see the bird with its head turned)
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, January 2006]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Jul - Feb | Eggs: 2 - 4 | Incubation period: 14 days | Fledging age: ca. 15 - 17 days |
Given the right conditions, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters can breed any time of the year.
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Suspended basket | Material: Grass, webs, fibre | Height above ground: 2 - 10 m |
Two Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater chicks in their nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2013]
View of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater nest with two eggs in an oleander
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2021]
View from the side of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater nest in a
bottlebrush tree
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]
The same Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater nest as above, now with its occupant
in the typical honeyeater posture inside the nest - head and tail high up
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater nest found in a bottlebrush right next to a
house entrance
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2015]
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater collecting nesting material
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 24 x 18 mm | Colour: Creamy, sparsely speckled with brown speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
View from above into the neatly lined nest of a pair of
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, with two eggs inside
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2021]
View into a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater nest with two eggs inside
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]
View from above onto the two eggshells remaining in a Spiny-cheeked
Honeyeater nest that was taken down weeks after it had been abandoned
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2015]
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Sedentary | Elementary unit: Pair |
Although usually territorial, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters can gather in relatively large groups of up to about 20. They gather in areas where there are bushes or trees blossoming.
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
calling in display flight,
which is mostly observed by us very early in the morning
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2014]
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Food, Diet |
Adults: Nectar, insects | Dependents: Insects | Water intake: Daily |
Like many other honeyeaters Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters like the flowers of Callistemon (bottlebrush) trees, which often grow in sandy creek beds. Again like many other honeyeaters, they do not exclusively feed on nectar, but use their sticky tongue to take insects too. They enjoy a very varied diet, as shown in the photos below.
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater feasting on the nectar of
ironbark eucalypt
flowers
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater taking nectar head-down
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2013]
Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
visiting the flowers of a Hakea laurina
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2023]
This Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater is using its tongue to lick the liquid
secretions of psyllids
from the underside of eucalypt leaves
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]
Although here the tongue cannot be seen, one can discern what
the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater is after - the sugary liquid that,
when crystallized,
is called a "lerp";
the insects producing these secretions, psyllids,
are visible in the upper left-hand corner of the photo
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]
Only when the supply of dew is exhausted, the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
turns to feeding
on psyllids directly
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]
Next thing, the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater caught itself a decent-sized
insect in flight...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]
... which had to be turned before it could be swallowed
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]
Lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater with its tongue sticking out
(photo courtesy of A. Campbell)
[Mount McEuen, QLD, October 2016]
Birds of the Australian interior, such as Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters,
know exactly where to find water, even in a leaking sprinkler...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2013]
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater hovering in front of a leaking garden sprinkler
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2006]
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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.
spinhon_20180516.m4a | (NW NSW) | Contact call(?) | © MD | |
spinhon_20190206_2.m4a | (NW NSW) | Extended contact call(?) | © MD | |
spinhon_20190206.m4a | (NW NSW) | Arrival + territorial call | © MD | |
spinhon_20190227.m4a | (NW NSW) | Territorial calls (Pair Q&A) | © MD | |
spinhon_20191112.m4a | (NW NSW) | Territorial calls (display flight) | © MD | |
spinhon_20190227_2.m4a | (NW NSW) | Territorial display incl. bill snaps | © MD | |
spinhon_20191117.m4a | (NW NSW) | Territorial calls (Q&A); competing males (+ Brown Honeyeater) | © MD | |
spinhon_20141003_2.mp3 | (NW NSW) | "Song contest" (with Striped Honeyeater) | © MD | |
spinhon_20230726_2.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Various | © MD | |
spinhon_20210320_2.m4a | (NW NSW) | Various | © MD | |
spinhon_20230726.mp3 | (NW NSW) | ? | © MD | |
spinhon_20210320.m4a | (NW NSW) | ? | © MD | |
spinhon_20171209.m4a | (NW NSW) | ? | © MD | |
spinhon_20200609.m4a | (NW NSW) | ? | © MD | |
spinhon_20220130.m4a | (NW NSW) | ? | © MD | |
spinhon_jg_20160806.m4a | (Ctl WA) | ? | © JG |
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 Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater.
spinhon_20171116.m4a | (NW NSW) | Short flutter | © MD |
More Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.