|
|
|
Strong-billed Honeyeater
(Melithreptus validirostris)
: "Barkbird", "Black-capped Honeyeater", "Black Cap"
Size: 16-17.5 cm
Weight: 22-32 g
|
|
 |
Similar species |
|
 |
Physical description |
|
Click here for a physical description
Strong-billed Honeyeaters are very small nectar-eating birds.
Except for a light-blue skin patches above the eyes and
a white band around the nape of the neck, their head is
black. Down the centre of their throat they have an
inconspicuous black vertical stripe, contrasting against
the white sides of the throat. The rest of the front, from
the breast down to the undertail coverts, is light-grey.
The back and rump are olive-grey. The wings are dark-grey,
the uppertail is also dark-grey, while the undertail is
light-grey. The irises are dark. The short, slightly down-curved
bill is black, while the legs and feet are the colour
of skin.
Juveniles
have a sooty head, with lemon stripes where
adults
are white. The eye skin and base of the bill are yellowish-orange.
|
 |
Taxonomy, classification |
|
See
Strong-billed 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 Strong-billed Honeyeater is available
HERE
.
Strong-billed Honeyeaters are endemic to Tasmania and some smaller
islands along
Bass Strait. On Tasmania they are found almost everywhere, except
a narrow coastal strip in the South-west and the hills to the
South-east of Launceston.
They are present on King Island, the smaller islands near the north-western
tip of Tasmania, on Flinders Island, very rarely on Clarke Island,
but not on Cape Barren Island.
Strong-billed Honeyeaters have a preference for various types of
forest.
|
 |
Sightings |
|
Click here for sighting information
B. Hensen reports spotting Strong-billed Honeyeaters on Bruny
Island, TAS, in March 2016.
M. Eaton found a Strong-billed Honeyeater
at Margate, Kingborough, TAS, in September 2021.
|
 |
Photos |
|
 |
ADULT |
|
Distant full-frontal view of a Strong-billed Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bruny Island, TAS, March 2016]
Frontal view of a Strong-billed Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Margate, Kingborough, TAS, September 2021]
Near-lateral view of a Strong-billed Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bruny Island, TAS, March 2016]
Lateral view of a Strong-billed Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Margate, Kingborough, TAS, September 2021]
Lateral view of a Strong-billed Honeyeater hanging
under a branch; note the characteristic small black
chin patch (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bruny Island, TAS, March 2016]
Distant lateral view of a Strong-billed Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bruny Island, TAS, March 2016]
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.