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White-plumed HoneyeaterAlternate name(s): "Greenie", "Linner", "Chickoowee", "Ringeye", "Ringneck", "Australian Canary*" ![]() Size: 15-17 cm Weight: 15-24 g |
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Similar |
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See
White-plumed Honeyeater at Wikipedia ![]() |
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Photos |
Race "penicillata"
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here .
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of a White-plumed Honeyeater; note the clearly visible
passerine foothold
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2012]
Frontal view of a White-plumed Honeyeater looking sideways
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Durikai SF, near Warwick, QLD, March 2018]
Close-up near-frontal view of a White-plumed Honeyeater
looking at the observer
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2023]
Close-up near-frontal view of a White-plumed Honeyeater,
now seen preening
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2023]
Near-lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2012]
Close-up lateral portrait of a White-plumed Honeyeater
[Near Narrabri, NSW, June 2012]
Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater
[Near Narrabri, NSW, June 2012]
Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater, different posture
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2011]
Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater showing its wirebrush
tongue (no disrespect intended...)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2023]
Near-dorsal view of a White-plumed Honeyeater approaching a waterhole
(photo taken by R. Druce)
[Pilliga scrub,
NSW, July 2011]
Frontal and dorsal view of White-plumed Honeyeaters (photo
courtesy of R. Druce)
[Pilliga scrub,
NSW, July 2011]
White-plumed Honeyeater checking the surroundings while
drinking from a waterhole
[Pilliga scrub,
NSW, December 2011]
Here the same White-plumed Honeyeater seen drinking
[Pilliga scrub,
NSW, December 2011]
White-plumed Honeyeater scooping up water
[Pilliga scrub,
NSW, December 2011]
White-plumed Honeyeater with an itch...
[Manilla, NSW, May 2013]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of a juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater; note the
absence of a black plume and the last remnant of an orange gape
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2016]
Frontal view of a juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater; note the
absence of a black plume, the pale colours and the orange-yellow
bill
[Pilliga scrub,
NSW, December 2011]
Frontal view of a juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater; different posture
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2012]
Near-frontal view of a juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, February 2016]
Near-lateral view of a juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater
[January 2011]
Immature White-plumed Honeyeater, slightly different posture
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, March 2008]
Lateral view of a juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater with its
tongue sticking out
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2016]
This immature White-plumed Honeyeater is studying the photographer
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2012]
Lateral view of a juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, March 2008]
Dorsal view of a juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, February 2016]
Dorsal view of a juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater seen preening
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, February 2016]
Immature White-plumed Honeyeater having a drink
[O'Brien's Creek, Narrabri Lake, NSW, January 2011]
This immature White-plumed Honeyeater and its mates were fascinated
by a piece of netting
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2012]
Juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater being fed by its parents
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2012]
Juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater begging for food
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, March 2009]
Fledgling birds, like these two White-plumed Honeyeaters,
will often groom one another while waiting to be fed by
their parents
[Near Narrabri, NSW, January 2017]
Ventral view of a fledgling White-plumed Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Station, near Cunnamulla, QLD, September 2017]
Race "carteri"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of a White-plumed Honeyeater (photo courtesy of J.
Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, August 2016]
Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater (photo courtesy
of J. Greaves)
[Murchison River, near Ajana, WA, May 2018]
Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater (photo courtesy of J.
Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, August 2016]
Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater foraging in a casuarina tree (photo courtesy
of J. Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, January 2014]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of a juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater in a casuarina tree (photo courtesy
of J. Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, January 2014]
Race "leilavalensis"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Near-lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Port Augusta, SA, June 2023]
Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]
Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater feeding in a
eucalypt
tree (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Yulara, NT, March 2015]
Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]
Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, July 2021]
Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Yulara, NT, March 2015]
Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater feeding in a
eucalypt tree
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Yulara, NT, March 2015]
Lateral view of an upside-down White-plumed Honeyeater feeding in a
eucalypt tree
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Yulara, NT, March 2015]
Race "calconi"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Near-frontal view of a White-plumed Honeyeater seen from underneath;
note the characteristic light-yellow head and otherwise pale
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[The Granites Gold Mine, inland NT, June 2015]
Near-lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater seen from underneath;
note the characteristic light-yellow head and otherwise pale
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[The Granites Gold Mine, inland NT, June 2015]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Jun - Jan | Eggs: 2 - 3 | Incubation period: 14 days | Fledging age: ca. 15 days |
Given the right conditions, White-plumed Honeyeaters can breed any time of the year.
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Suspended basket | Material: Root fibres, grass stems, webs | Height above ground: 1 - 10 m |
White-plumed Honeyeater chicks in their nest, waiting to be fed
[Near Coonabarabran, NSW, November 2010]
Here a White-plumed Honeyeater's nest in a more open spot
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, 2005]
This White-plumed Honeyeater nest was being built in a drooping
branch of a eucalypt
tree, less than 2 m above a dirt track
[Near Coonabarabran, NSW, October 2015]
White-plumed Honeyeater carrying rootlets for its nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2012]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 20 x 15 mm | Colour: Creamy, with light-brown speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Dispersive/sedentary | Elementary unit: Solitary/pair |
White-plumed Honeyeaters are one of the species that like a good splash every day; however, they do not only use shallow bowls or puddles for taking their bath - instead they fly from perches onto the surface of standing water fluttering their wings, just touching the surfaces and getting half-emersed before taking off back to the perch again (see photo below).
Action shot of a White-plumed Honeyeater flying in for a bath
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]
White-plumed Honeyeater making a splash; it is normal for birds of
this species to fully immerse themselves before flying back to
their perches soaking wet; they will repeat this up to about 10 times
[O'Brien's Creek, Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2013]
Soaking wet White-plumed Honeyeater preening after a bath
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2016]
Three White-plumed Honeyeaters settling a dispute high up in the sky
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2014]
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Food, Diet |
Adults: Nectar, insects | Dependents: Insects | Water intake: Daily |
Like many other honeyeaters, White-plumed Honeyeaters do not exclusively feed on nectar, but take insects too.
Dorsal view of a juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater feeding head-down on
nectar
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, December 2005]
Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater with its prey, a
relatively large flying insect
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2023]
White-plumed Honeyeater with an insect it has just caught
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, April 2013]
This White-plumed Honeyeater is taking
psyllids and lerps
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]
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Additional information |
There is a separate page with a short description of psyllids and lerps.
This White-plumed Honeyeater is taking a
psyllid with lerp
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2013]
Here the same White-plumed Honeyeater as shown above is seen
taking a psyllid
without lerp
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2013]
White-plumed Honeyeater having a drink from a muddy waterhole
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Timmallallie NP,
NSW, November 2018]
Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater visiting a bird bath
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2023]
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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.
wplume_20200516.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Contact call(?) | © MD | |
wplume_20170802_2.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Contact calls(?) | © MD | |
wplume_20190618.m4a |
penicillata (SW QLD) |
Territorial song (male display flight) | © MD | |
wplume_20171209.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Territorial call (break of dawn) | © MD | |
wplume_20200718_2.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Territorial calls (break of dawn) | © MD | |
wplume_20211016.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Territorial calls (break of dawn) | © MD | |
wplume_20200718.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Territorial calls (break of dawn) | © MD | |
wplume_20180419.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Warning/alarm calls | © MD | |
wplume_20200531.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Alarm calls (Peregrine Falcon) | © MD | |
wplume_20190321.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Alarm calls (Grey Butcherbird) | © MD | |
wplume_20200718_4.m4a |
penicillata (W NSW) |
Alarm calls (Laughing Kookaburra) | © MD | |
wplume_20210320.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Aerial predator alarm calls | © MD | |
wplume_20200609.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Alarm calls | © MD | |
wplume_20210121.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Feeding calls | © MD | |
wplume_20191027.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Feeding calls | © MD | |
wplume_20180105.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
(Food competition) | © MD | |
wplume_20200718_3.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Various (break of dawn) | © MD | |
wplume_20221226.mp3 |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
? + alarm calls | © MD | |
wplume_20221226_2.mp3 |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
? | © MD | |
wplume_20220206.m4a |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
? | © MD | |
wplume_jg_20160806.m4a |
carteri (Ctl WA) |
Contact call | © JG | |
wplume_jg_20160806_2.m4a |
carteri (Ctl WA) |
Contact call Q&A | © JG | |
wplume_jg_20160803.m4a |
carteri (Ctl WA) |
Upset/fighting | © JG | |
wplume_jg_20160806_3.m4a |
carteri (Ctl WA) |
Feeding/begging calls | © JG |
We have also recorded the wing beat of a (wet) White-plumed Honeyeater, flying back to its perch after dipping into water.
wplume_20140206.mp3 |
penicillata (NW NSW) |
Competition near water | © MD |
More White-plumed Honeyeater sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.