18 |
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White-eared Honeyeater![]() Size: 19-22 cm Weight: 18-30 g |
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See White-eared
Honeyeater at Wikipedia ![]() |
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Photos |
Race "leucotis"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Near-frontal view of a White-eared Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Mt. Nunniong, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2017]
Lateral view of a White-eared Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, September 2013]
Near-dorsal view of a White-eared Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Swifts Creek, East Gippsland, VIC, September 2017]
Race "novaenorciae"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Frontal portrait of a White-eared Honeyeater
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, December 2019]
Frontal view of a White-eared Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanthorpe, QLD, February 2021]
Frontal view of an adult White-eared Honeyeater
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, June 2008]
Frontal view of a White-eared Honeyeater, different stance
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2013]
Frontal/ventral White-eared Honeyeater issuing its
call
[Porcupine Reserve, Gunnedah, NSW, August 2011]
Near-lateral view of a White-eared Honeyeater
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, December 2019]
Near-lateral view of a White-eared Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton
[Girraween NP,
QLD, February 2021]
Near-lateral view of a White-eared Honeyeater
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, June 2008]
Lateral view of the same White-eared Honeyeater as above, now having a
drink; one can see how the tongue is used to slurp up water
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, March 2009]
Near-dorsal view of a White-eared Honeyeater
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, March 2012]
Dorsal view of a White-eared Honeyeater
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, December 2019]
These two White-eared Honeyeaters seemed to have a bit of a stand-off...
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, April 2011]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of a juvenile White-eared Honeyeater; note that the
cap is still olive-green and the throat still grey, rather than black
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, February 2017]
Frontal view of a juvenile White-eared Honeyeater
[Pilliga NP,
NSW, December 2022]
Frontal view of a juvenile White-eared Honeyeater looking sideways
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, December 2011]
Near-lateral view of a juvenile White-eared Honeyeater
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, February 2017]
Lateral view of a juvenile White-eared Honeyeater
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, April 2022]
Juvenile White-eared Honeyeater waiting to be fed by one of its
parents (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Near Moree, NSW, September 2012]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Aug - Jan | Eggs: 2 - 3 | Incubation period: 14-15? days | Fledging age: 15-17? days |
Nest building: ? | Incubation: ? | Dependent care: Female & male |
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Basket | Material: Grass stems, bark strips, webs, plant down or feather lining | Height above ground: 0.3 - 3 m |
White-eared Honeyeater nest shortly after the chicks had fledged
[Near Binnaway, NSW, September 2015]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 21 x 15 mm | Colour: White, with sparse light-brown speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
White-eared Honeyeater nest with two eggs (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, August 2013]
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Dispersive/sedentary | Elementary unit: Solitary/pair |
White-eared Honeyeaters are one of the bird species that will come close to check out intruders into their territories. However, they hardly ever came to our place, only a few kilometres from dense bushland in the foothills of the Nandewar Range.
The bird below was observed by us guarding its territory on a sparsely vegetated mountain top from various vantage points, some on plants, some on rocks.
This White-eared Honeyeater was observed in sparse scrub on a mountain top at an
altitude of 1300 m
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, October 2011]
White-eared Honeyeater guarding its rocky high-altitude territory
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, October 2011]
White-eared Honeyeater defending its food source from a high perch in a
Callistemon shrub
[Narrabri, NSW, June 2018]
White-eared Honeyeater in shrubs at an altitude of 1300 m
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, August 2013]
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Food, Diet |
Adults: Nectar, insects | Dependents: Insects | Water intake: Daily |
Like many other honeyeaters, White-eared Honeyeaters do not exclusively feed on nectar, but take insects and spiders too. They are known to also take fruit.
White-eared Honeyeater taking nectar from a
Callistemon shrub
[Narrabri Creek, Narrabri, NSW, June 2018]
White-eared Honeyeater
in a Callistemon
shrub, with pollen all around the base of
its bill
[Narrabri Creek, Narrabri, NSW, June 2018]
White-eared Honeyeater
in a Callistemon
shrub, with pollen all around the base of
its bill
[Narrabri Creek, Narrabri, NSW, June 2018]
White-eared Honeyeater feeding on the nectar of mistletoe in an eucalypt
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, February 2015]
White-eared Honeyeater looking for insects in tree bark
[Near Narrabri, NSW, May 2012]
This White-eared Honeyeater has caught an insect
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, October 2011]
White-eared Honeyeater approaching a waterhole
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, August 2018]
White-eared Honeyeater drinking from a waterhole
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, December 2019]
White-eared Honeyeater and
Fuscous Honeyeater
drinking from a waterhole
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, December 2019]
White-eared Honeyeater drinking from a waterhole together with a
Striped Honeyeater,
centre, and a
Singing Honeyeater,
front left
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, September 2019]
White-eared Honeyeater approaching a water bowl
(photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Ulamambri, near Coonabarabran, NSW, February 2014]
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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.
whitear_20191221.m4a |
novaenorciae (NW NSW) |
Contact calls | © MD | |
whitear_20190916.m4a |
novaenorciae (NW NSW) |
Contact calls | © MD | |
whitear_20200425.m4a |
novaenorciae (NW NSW) |
Various | © MD | |
whitear_20220424.m4a |
novaenorciae (NW NSW) |
Various | © MD | |
whitear_20170325.mp3 |
novaenorciae (NW NSW) |
(foraging, feeding) | © MD | |
whitear_20180621.m4a |
novaenorciae (NW NSW) |
Feeding call(?) | © MD | |
whitear_20180621_2.m4a |
novaenorciae (NW NSW) |
Feeding call(?) | © MD | |
whitear_20220424_3.m4a |
novaenorciae (NW NSW) |
? (long trill) | © MD | |
whitear_20220424_2.m4a |
novaenorciae (NW NSW) |
? | © MD |
More White-eared Honeyeater sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.