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Yellow-spotted Honeyeater (Meliphaga notata) Alternate name(s): "Lesser Lewin Honeyeater" Aboriginal name(s): "birraji" [ngadjon] Size: 17-18 cm Body mass: 21-32 g

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Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Yellow-spotted Honeyeaters are small nectar-eating birds. Their head is dark-brown, with a roundish pale-yellow patch on the ear coverts. They have a yellowish gape. The front is greyish-brown, the back darker grey-brown. The primaries and the outer tail feathers have olive-green edges. The irises are brown. The down-curved bill is dark-grey, while legs and feet are grey. Twitcher's tip Compared with Graceful Honeyeaters, Yellow-spotted Honeyeaters are both bigger and darker of colour. Compared with Lewin's Honeyeaters, they are somewhat smaller and have a more rounded, smaller yellow patch on their ear coverts, while the rest of the head is lighter. However, the distinction between Yellow-spotted Honeyeater and Graceful Honeyeater is sufficiently difficult that, from the photo below, a professional ornithologist identified it as Graceful, while 3 other experienced birdwatchers labeled it a Yellow-spotted Honeyeater.

Taxonomy, classification See Yellow-spotted 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 Yellow-spotted Honeyeater is available HERE . There are two races of Yellow-spotted Honeyeaters, both of which are endemic to north-eastern Australia. Nominate race "notata" populates the tip of Cape York peninsula and the East coast of QLD, down to about Cooktown. South of Cooktown, the range of race "mixta" extends to about the estuary of the Burdekin River in QLD. Yellow-spotted Honeyeaters have a preference for low-altitude wet forest, but they will also visit tropical gardens.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "notata" B. Hensen reports spotting Yellow-spotted Honeyeaters, race "notata", at Julatten, QLD, in July 2013, at at Iron Range NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, in December 2018. M. Eaton reports spotting a Yellow-spotted Honeyeater, race "notata", at Chili Beach, Cape York peninsula, QLD, in August 2019. Race "mixta" B. Hensen also spotted Yellow-spotted Honeyeaters, race "mixta", at Lake Morris, QLD, in July 2013. K. McDonough reports finding Yellow-spotted Honeyeaters, race "mixta", nesting in the township of Forrest Beach, QLD, in December 2016. M. Eaton found a Yellow-spotted Honeyeaters, race "mixta", at Paluma Rainforest, near Townsville, QLD, in September 2020.

Photos

Race "notata"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Yellow-spotted Honeyeater; note the concolourous yellow gape and stripe under the eye
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Chili Beach, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Yellow-spotted Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Chili Beach, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Lateral view of a Yellow-spotted Honeyeater (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, June 2013]

Dorsal view of a Yellow-spotted Honeyeater with its head turned; note the yellowish gape, a feature which distinguishes this species from Lewin's Honeyeater (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, June 2013]

Race "mixta"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view of a Yellow-spotted Honeyeater (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lake Morris, QLD, July 2013]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Feb

Eggs: 2 - 3

Incubation period: 15 - 16 days

Fledging age: ca. 15 days

Nest building: ?

Incubation: Female

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

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

Type: Suspended basket

Material: Palm fibres, bark fibres, webs

Height above ground: 2 - 4 m

Near-dorsal view of a Yellow-spotted Honeyeater in its nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Etty Bay, QLD, October 2024]

Yellow-spotted Honeyeater at its nest that is affixed to a washing line (photo courtesy of K. McDonough)
[Forrest Beach, QLD, December 2016]

Closer look at the Yellow-spotted Honeyeater at its nest (photo courtesy of K. McDonough)
[Forrest Beach, QLD, December 2016]

Eggs

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

Size: 23 x 16 mm

Colour: Creamy, with light- to dark-brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Food, Diet

Lateral view of a Yellow-spotted Honeyeater taking nectar (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lake Morris, QLD, July 2013]

Near-dorsal/ventrral view of a Yellow-spotted Honeyeater taking a fruit (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Iron Range NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, December 2018]

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.

yelspot_me_20200927.m4a	mixta (N QLD)	Territorial song	© ME
yelspot_me_20200927_2.m4a	mixta (N QLD)	Territorial song (Q&A) (+ Noisy Pitta, Wompoo Fruit-Dove)	© ME

More Yellow-spotted 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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