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Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis) Alternate name(s): "Spring-cheeked Honeyeater" Size: 23-26 cm Body mass: 37-57 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 Graceful Honeyeater Lewin's Honeyeater Yellow-faced Honeyeater Bridled Honeyeater Eungella Honeyeater Singing Honeyeater Mangrove Honeyeater Varied Honeyeater White-lined Honeyeater Kimberley Honeyeater White-gaped Honeyeater Yellow Honeyeater White-eared 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 Green-backed Honeyeater Brown Honeyeater Bar-breasted Honeyeater Brown-backed Honeyeater Rufous-throated Honeyeater Grey Honeyeater Tawny-crowned Honeyeater Rufous-banded Honeyeater White-streaked 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 Garden 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

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters are medium-sized nectar-eating birds. Their throat and chest are cinnamon-coloured, sometimes also lighter (creamy), while the belly and vent are creamy with dark scalloping. The head, above the bill and eyes, the back and the wings are all mottled grey to grey-brown, with an olive leading edge to the flight feathers. The tail is dark grey-brown, with a white terminal band. Their characteristic features are their blue irises and the long, curved pink bill with its prominent black tip. The pink bill is lined with pink skin that extends to under the eyes. Under the pink skin, the cheek feathers are white and spiny. The legs and feet are grey. Juveniles are more olive-coloured overall and have a yellow spot on the cheek, or all-yellow spiny cheek feathers.

Taxonomy, classification See Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater at Wikipedia .

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 Spiny-cheeked 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. Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters are endemic to Australia. They are very well-adapted to life in the Australian interior. Their range spans the entire interior of the continent, including the most arid parts. They do NOT venture into the heavily wooded areas, such as the extreme south-western tip of WA, most of VIC (except a narrow coastal strip from the border with SA to Melbourne). They also avoid most of the coast of NSW (except the Hunter River valley) and QLD, Cape York peninsula, the Top End of the NT and the Kimberley in WA. They are not found in Tasmania either, but they do inhabit both Kangaroo Island, SA, and Dirk Hartog Island, WA. Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters can be found in open, often dry forest, open woodland, low scrub, mallee and even in deserts. They adapt to the presence of humans quite well and will also enter urban parks and gardens. 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 Spiny-cheeked 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 Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters are one of the dominant species of honeyeaters at our place at Eulah Creek, 20 km East of Narrabri, NSW. Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters visited us quite often 20 km South of Narrabri in the past, mostly when our bottlebrush tree was blossoming. They like the flowers of various types of Grevillea and eucalypts as well. The species has also been by us in various parts of the Great Dividing Range and to the West of it, into Outback NSW. C. Hayne reports that Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters are regularly observed around Moree, NSW. B. Kinross reports spotting Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters at Buntine Rocks, 230 km North of Perth, WA, in September 2013. D. Wilczynska reports spotting Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters at Yulara/Uluru, NT, in March 2015. J. Greaves reports finding Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters at Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, in August 2016 and on the banks of the Murchison River, near Ajana, WA, May 2018. R. Plumtree reports spotting Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters near Mt. Gambier, SA, in October 2016. M. Eaton found Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters in various locations in western QLD, ranging from the area of Cunnamulla and Thargomindah, in south-western QLD, all the way to around Mount Isa, in north-western QLD. M. Eaton also found a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater in Port Fairy, VIC, in April 2022.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Frontal view of a breeding pair of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, both looking sideways
[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]

Close-up lateral view of a pair of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters "serenading" ("Pair Q&A")
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, April 2026]

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
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2026]

Close-up frontal view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2023]

Frontal view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater looking sideways
[Near Narrabri, NSW, September 2006]

Close-up near-frontal portrait of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
[Near Narrabri, NSW, April 2017]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater looking sideways
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, December 2024]

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 near-lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater in mellow light
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2026]

Near-lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater feeding in a Grevillea shrub
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2007]

Close-up near-lateral/ventral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2025]

Lateral portrait of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, October 2013]

Close-up lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater taking nectar from a Callistemon
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2024]

Close-up 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]

Dorsal view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater looking sideways while basking in the sun
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2024]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a sub-adult Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (with just a few yellow malar feathers left) looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2025]

Close-up frontal view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2025]

Close-up frontal view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, left, with one of its parents
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2025]

Frontal view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Bindegolly NP, near Thargomindah, QLD, June 2020]

Frontal/ventral view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater whose calls were recorded on 11 December 2024
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2024]

Close-up near-frontal view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater looking sideways (note the yellow spot)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2011]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater looking at the observer
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2025]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater illuminated from behind
[Near Narrabri, NSW, April 2017]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2008]

Close-up lateral view of a fledgling Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater looking at the observer; its calls were recorded on 18 February 2025
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2025]

Close-up lateral view of a fledgling Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater; its calls were recorded on 18 February 2025
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2025]

Close-up dorsal view of a fledgling Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater looking sideways; its calls were recorded on 18 February 2025
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2025]

Ventral view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater; in the process of moulting it has lost all its tail feathers
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, May 2017]

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.

Nest

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

Type: Suspended basket

Material: Grass, webs, fibre

Height above ground: 2 - 10 m

Close-up view from above of two Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater chicks in their nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2013]

Close-up view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater nest with two eggs inside
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2021]

View from the side of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater nest in a bottlebrush
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater in its nest in the typical honeyeater stance 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]

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

Close-up view from above into the neatly lined nest of a pair of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, with two eggs inside (nope, not climbing the tree - done with a mirror from below)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2021]

Close-up 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]

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 shrubs or trees blossoming.

Close-up lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater basking in the sun after a bath
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2023]

Distant lateral views of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters in display flight; they usually call most actively very early in the morning
[Near Narrabri, NSW, August 2013 and October 2014]

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, like other species, when feeding on nectar of flowering plants, are effective pollinators.

Close-up lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater visiting Eremophila maculata flower
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2026]

Close-up lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater visiting Eremophila maculata flower
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2026]

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.

Lateral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater feasting on the nectar of an ironbark eucalypt
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater visiting the flowers of a Hakea laurina
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2023]

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater 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 sap-sucking insects producing these secretions, psyllids, are visible in the upper left-hand corner
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]

Only when the supply of dew is exhausted, the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater turns to feeding directly on psyllids
[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]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater looking for spiders under the skirting of a house
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2025]

Close-up frontal/ventral view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater carrying food for its brood, a grasshopper
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2025]

Near-frontal view of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater hovering to drink from a leaking garden sprinkler
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2006]

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_20241224.m4a	(NW NSW)	Territorial calls (dawn chorus)	© 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_20241211_2.m4a	(NW NSW)	Begging calls (2 juveniles)	© MD
spinhon_20241211.m4a	(NW NSW)	Begging calls & being fed (2 juveniles)	© MD
spinhon_20250218_2.m4a	(NW NSW)	Begging call (fledgling)	© MD
spinhon_20250218.m4a	(NW NSW)	Begging calls (fledgling)	© MD
spinhon_20230726_2.mp3	(NW NSW)	Various	© MD
spinhon_20210320_2.m4a	(NW NSW)	Various	© MD
spinhon_20260717.m4a	(NW NSW)	?	© 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_20260807.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 .

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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