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18

Striped Honeyeater

(Plectorhyncha lanceolata)
Alternate name(s): "Lanceolated Honeyeater"
Size: 22-25 cm; wing span 28-36 cm
Weight: 33-48 g
Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Striped Honeyeater at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a look here .

ADULT

MALE

Close-up frontal portrait of a male(?) Striped Honeyeater; note its white underparts
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2022]

Frontal portrait of a male(?) Striped Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Marmor, QLD, August 2023]

Frontal view of a male(?) Striped Honeyeater looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2008]

Frontal view of a male(?) Striped Honeyeater foraging in a eucalypt for psyllids and lerps
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2011]

Frontal/ventral view of a preening male(?) Striped Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2019]

Close-up near-lateral portrait of a male(?) Striped Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2022]

Near-lateral view of a male(?) Striped Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2008]

Near-lateral/ventral of a male(?) Striped Honeyeater issuing its call (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Marmor, QLD, August 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a male(?) Striped Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2023]

Lateral/ventral view of a male(?) Striped Honeyeater in a casuarina (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lake Nuga Nuga, QLD, April 2013]

Near-dorsal view of a male(?) Striped Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2012]

Near-dorsal/ventral of a male(?) Striped Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Marmor, QLD, August 2023]

Dorsal view of a male Striped Honeyeater, showing the beautiful stripe pattern giving the species its name

FEMALE

Close-up frontal view of a female(?) Striped Honeyeater; note the faint-buff underparts
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2013]

Frontal view of a female(?) Striped Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]

Female(?) Striped Honeyeater issuing its call
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]

PAIR

Frontal view of a pair of Striped Honeyeaters
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2023]

Lateral view of a male Striped Honeyeater, left, posing and singing a ballad for his lady, who then falls in with him; this is how one will find Striped Honeyeaters when "serenading", as recorded by us
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, 2005]

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Striped Honeyeater foraging in an eucalypt for psyllids and lerps (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. George, QLD, August 2018]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Striped Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2022]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile Striped Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2012]

Striped Honeyeater feeding one of three fledgling chicks waiting silently in an acacia tree
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, January 2008]

The same Striped Honeyeater chick (the strongest of the three), having climbed to a higher branch than its siblings, getting the feed again
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, January 2008]

Close-up view of the same little Striped Honeyeater
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, January 2008]

This photo of a fledgling Striped Honeyeater (this one still had trouble flying and finding its balance on the perch) shows clearly the brown tints of the wing feathers that will completely disappear when the bird moults into its adult plumage
[Bullawa Creek SCA, NSW, November 2008]

Fledgling Striped Honeyeater from a nest in our rural garden
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2013]

Fledgling Striped Honeyeater from a nest in our rural garden
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2013]

Fledgling Striped Honeyeater begging to be fed
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2021]

Near-lateral view of a fledgling Striped Honeyeater 30 minutes after leaving its nest; this is the younger of two chicks
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2021]

Near-lateral view of a fledgling Striped Honeyeater 30 minutes after leaving its nest; this is the younger of two chicks
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a fledgling Striped Honeyeater 30 minutes after leaving its nest; this is the younger of two chicks
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2021]

When taking one's very first steps, one begs to be excused for still being a bit wobbly on one's feet
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2021]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jul - Jan Eggs: 3 - 4 Incubation period: 14 days Fledging age: ca. 15 - 17 days

Nest

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

Type: Suspended basket Material: Grass, webs Height above ground: 2 - 5

Additional information

Striped Honeyeaters like to take advantage of the protection offered by nesting under an Australian Magpie nest. There is now a separate page about various bird species nesting under the umbrella of a stronger, protective species.

Striped Honeyeaters like nesting at the lower end of big mistletoes or drooping branches of trees, such as e.g. Acacia salicina or Weeping Myall.

One of two near-fledging age Striped Honeyeater chicks
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2021]

Striped Honeyeater at its nest with two chicks inside
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2021]

Striped Honeyeater approaching its nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2021]

The only way one can tell that "someone is home" in this Striped Honeyeater nest is the tail sticking out
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2021]

Striped Honeyeater working on its nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2022]

Lateral view of a Striped Honeyeater checking out potential nest material
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2022]

In the spring of 2007 a pair of Striped Honeyeaters started building a nest in our garden, 20 km east of Narrabri. However, the nest was later abandoned, because the birds could not establish themselves in the habitat due to the presence of various other, stronger species, such as Noisy Friarbirds, Little Friarbirds and, most prominently, Singing Honeyeaters. They finally succeeded in 2010, see below.

Overview of a Striped Honeyeater's nest; note how the whole construction hinges on the threads tied above the little fork at the top
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2010]

Striped Honeyeater sitting on its nest; note how low the bird is in the nest - a sign that it is still sitting on eggs; once the chicks hatch, it will be sitting higher while keeping them warm
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2011]

Striped Honeyeaters are vigilant while incubating...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]

... they will always keep an eye on the observer
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]

Female(?) Striped Honeyeater bringing new material for its nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]

Female Striped Honeyeater is eyeing a downy feather for lining its nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2013]

Male Striped Honeyeater bringing a downy feather to its nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2013]

Male Striped Honeyeater tearing apart a spider's web for use in building its nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2012]

This Striped Honeyeater nest is at the end of a stringy branch of an Acacia salicina
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]

Different year, different tree (in this case an hanging branch in a eucalypt, the same tight squeeze in a Striped Honeyeater nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2015]

From the eggs shown below three Striped Honeyeater chicks hatched, seen here begging for food
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2011]

Striped Honeyeater nest in a flowering mistletoe
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, February 2009]

Male(?) Striped Honeyeater bringing home food for its chicks
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, February 2009]

Eggs

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

Size: 24 x 17 mm Colour: Creamy, sparsely speckled with light-brown speckles Shape: Tapered oval

View from above into a Striped Honeyeater nest with three eggs in it
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]

This egg shell was found discarded on our lawn; we tentatively identify it as a Striped Honeyeater egg
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2011]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial Mobility: Dispersive Elementary unit: Pair

Male Striped Honeyeater, left, posing and singing a ballad for his lady, who then falls in with him; this is how one will find Striped Honeyeaters when "serenading", as recorded by us
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, 2005]

Close-up lateral view of a Striped Honeyeater erecting its spiny feathers in response to a challenge
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2022]

Striped Honeyeaters are one of the bird species that immerse themselves completely when having a bath.

Soaking wet Striped Honeyeater dragging itself out of the bathtub (photo courtesy of A. Campbell)
[Mount McEuen, QLD, October 2016]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Striped Honeyeater basking in the sun after a bath
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2023]

There is now a separate page describing how a juvenile Pied Butcherbird apparently begged to be fed by a Striped Honeyeater.

Food, Diet

Adults: Nectar, insects Dependents: Insects Water intake: Daily

Like many other honeyeaters Striped Honeyeaters like the flowers of bottlebrushes and various types of grevilleas. Again like many other honeyeaters, they do not exclusively feed on nectar, but use their sticky tongue to take insects too. They are also known to feed on fruit and seeds.

Striped Honeyeater feeding in a bottlebrush
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2022]

Striped Honeyeater acrobatics while feeding in a bottlebrush
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]

Striped Honeyeater acrobatics while feeding in a bottlebrush, different posture (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Robina, Gold Coast, QLD, December 2013]

This Striped Honeyeater has picked a psyllid with lerp (the insect's crystallized secretion) from the underside of a eucalypt leaf
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2011]

Male Striped Honeyeater taking psyllids and lerps
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]

Failing to find lerps, this male Striped Honeyeater is picking off psyllids
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]

Male Striped Honeyeater foraging through a Cypress pine tree for small insects
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2015]

When a Striped Honeyeater forages in a wattle shrub or tree, as shown here, it is not looking for nectar, but for insects - in this case insects taking nectar from the wattle flowers (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Station, near Cunnamulla, QLD, September 2017]

Striped Honeyeater with pollenstuck to its chin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Eulo Bore, Eulo, QLD, June 2022]

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

Male Striped Honeyeater drinking from a water bowl
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2008]

Additional information

There is a separate page with a short description of psyllids and lerps.

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.

strphon_20210328.m4a (NW NSW) Contact call © MD
strphon_20150808.m4a (NW NSW) Pair Q&A (duet) © MD
strphon_20210508.m4a (NW NSW) Pair Q&A (distant first) © MD
spinhon_20141003_2.mp3 (NW NSW) "Song contest" (with Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater) © MD
strphon_20190823.m4a (NW NSW) Alarm call (goanna) © MD
strphon_20210219_3.m4a (NW NSW) Begging calls chick1 + being fed + parent © MD
strphon_20210219_2.m4a (NW NSW) Begging calls chick2 © MD
strphon_20210219.m4a (NW NSW) Begging calls chick2 © MD
strphon_20200719.m4a (NW NSW) ? © MD
strphon_20210102.m4a (NW NSW) ? © MD

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

More Striped 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.