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Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula) Alternate name(s): "Dusky Miner", "White-rumped Miner", "Mickey*" Aboriginal name(s): "booer", "bilyagorong" (WA) Size: 26-28 cm Body mass: 55-65 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-throated Miners are medium-sized nectar-eating birds. They have a black facial mask around the eyes, from roughly the gape to the ear coverts. Behind the eyes there is a small, near-triangular yellow skin patch. The throat and chest are scalloped grey-brown, becoming less scalloped and lighter grey towards belly and vent, and darker and more scalloped along the nape of the neck and the back, up to the rump. The frons is yellowish grey-brown. The rest of the head is grey-brown, but not scalloped. The chin area, including the sides, is also tinted yellowish. The tail is grey, with a darker centre line. The wings are dark grey; only the secondaries have olive-green leading edges. The irises are dark. The bill is bright-yellow, while the legs and feet are orange. The South-west Australian Yellow-throated Miners, race "obscura", are very similar to Noisy Miners (but there is no overlap in the ranges of the two species). Juveniles have more yellow on their throat and less scaling than adults. Twitcher's tip Compared with Noisy Miners, Yellow-throated Miners have more yellow on their neck and forehead and a lighter belly, vent and rump plumage.

Taxonomy, classification See Yellow-throated Miner 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-throated Miner is available HERE . NB: Reports on ebird of birds submitted by birdwatchers from the Australian Outback tend to be clustered along roads and public areas such as camp grounds; in such cases their distribution is not a good representation of the overall distribution of the species. Yellow-throated Miners are endemic to Australia. The five races of Yellow-throated Miners populate almost the entire interior of the Australian continent to the North and West of the Great Dividing Range. The only areas where they are not found are the Simpson Desert, near the NT/QLD/SA border, Arnhemland, NT, and Cape York peninsula, QLD, most of VIC, Tasmania and the very tip of south-west WA. For details on the boundaries between the races see a field guide. Yellow-throated Miners have a preference for dry open forest and remnant woodland, and also in mallee. They adapt well to the presence of humans and are found in urban parks, gardens and farmland with scattered trees. Where to look? How to find this species? Yellow-throated Miners are a dominant species mobs of which will rule the roost in parks and gardens, in particular in inland Australia. They will normally be easiest to find around picnic spots in rural communities.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "flavigula" Although, according to field guides, just beyond the boundary of their range, Yellow-throated Miners, nominate race "flavigula", are regularly found in the area of Narrabri, NSW. We have spotted Yellow-throated Miners, race "flavigula", in various locations in and around Narrabri in the years since 2005, including where we lived in 2003-2006, 20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, and also at Eulah Creek, 20 km East of town on various occasions. The Narrabri, NSW, region is now located in an overlap area between the ranges of two species of miners: The Yellow-throated Miner, race "flavigula", and the very similar Noisy Miner (race "lepidota"). M. Eaton reports finding Yellow-throated Miners, race "flavigula", in St. George, QLD, in August 2018. They were also found in Bourke, NSW, in June 2022. Race "wayensis" D. Wilczynska reports spotting Yellow-throated Miners, race "wayensis", at Yulara, NT, in March 2015. J. Greaves reports spotting Yellow-throated Miners, race "wayensis", at Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, in July 2015 and again in August 2016. M. Mearns found Yellow-throated Miners, race "wayensis", along the Bedourie to Boulia Highway, QLD, in September 2019. M. Pears reports seeing Yellow-throated Miners, race "wayensis", at Exmouth, WA, in May 2021. M. Eaton found Yellow-throated Miners, race "wayensis", in and around Mount Isa, QLD, in June 2021. In September 2022, C. Pears spotted Yellow-throated Miners, race "wayensis", at Mellenbye Station, ca. 50 km NE of Morawa, WA. Race "obscura" J. Greaves reports spotting Yellow-throated Miners, race "obscura", at Carramar Golf Course, Perth, WA, in April 2016. Race "melvillensis" J. Greaves reports spotting Yellow-throated Miners, race "melvillensis", at Pickertaramoor, Melville Island, NT, in December 2016. Race "lutea" P. Brown reports spotting Yellow-throated Miners, race "lutea", at Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, in April 2018.

Photos

Race "flavigula"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Full-frontal view of a Yellow-throated Miner
[Pilliga Bore Bath, near Pilliga, NSW, November 2017]

Frontal view of a Yellow-throated Miner looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bourke, NSW, June 2022]

Frontal view of a Yellow-throated Miner looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. George, QLD, August 2018]

Close-up near-frontal portrait of a Yellow-throated Miner
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2024]

Close-up near-lateral portrait of a Yellow-throated Miner
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2010]

Near-lateral view of a Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. George, QLD, August 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bourke, NSW, June 2022]

Near-lateral view of a Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. George, QLD, August 2018]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Yellow-throated Miner studying the photographer
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2017]

Lateral portrait of a Yellow-throated Miner
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2010]

Close-up lateral view of a Yellow-throated Miner in an ironbark eucalypt tree
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2017]

Close-up lateral view of a Yellow-throated Miner in an urban park
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2010]

Close-up lateral view of a Yellow-throated Miner
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, June 2024]

Dorsal view of a Yellow-throated Miner looking sideways; here one can see how the species came by its alternate name, "White-rumped Miner"
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2010]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view from above of a fledgling Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Race "wayensis"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Yulara, NT, March 2015]

Frontal view of a Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barkley Highway, 50 km NW of Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Frontal/ventral view of a soaking wet Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Moondarra, near Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Near-frontal view of a Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barkley Highway, 50 km NW of Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Near-frontal view of a Yellow-throated Miner looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barkley Highway, 50 km NW of Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Lateral view of a Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, July 2015]

Family clan of Yellow-throated Miners scavenging "bikkies" (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Yulara, NT, March 2015]

Family clan of Yellow-throated Miners in a dead tree (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Bedourie to Boulia Highway, QLD, September 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a fledgling Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of M. Pears)
[Exmouth, WA, May 2021]

Near-lateral view of a fledgling Yellow-throated Miner looking away from the photographer (photo courtesy of M. Pears)
[Exmouth, WA, May 2021]

Race "obscura"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Carramar Golf Course, Perth, WA, April 2016]

Lateral view of a Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Carramar Golf Course, Perth, WA, April 2016]

Near-dorsal view of a Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Carramar Golf Course, Perth, WA, April 2016]

Race "melvillensis"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Distant lateral view of a Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Pickertaramoor, Melville Island, NT, in December 2016]

Race "lutea"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Full-frontal view of a Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Frontal view of a Yellow-throated Miner looking sideways (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Frontal view of a Yellow-throated Miner looking sideways (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Frontal view of a Yellow-throated Miner, race "lutea", looking downwards; here one can clearly see the yellow forehead that is characteristic of this race (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Lateral view of a Yellow-throated Miner (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, December 2019]

Breeding information

Breeding season: July - Jan

Eggs: 3 - 4

Incubation period: 16? days

Fledging age: 17? - 19? days

Given the right conditions, Yellow-throated Miners can breed any time of the year. Especially in arid inland regions their breeding cycle depends more on rainfall events than time of year.

Nest

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

Type: Basket

Material: Twigs, grass; lined with wool and feathers

Height above ground: 2 - 10? m

Yellow-throated Miner sitting on its nest in a eucalypt
[Moree, NSW, September 2015]

Lateral view of a Yellow-throated Miner collecting nest material
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2007]

Eggs

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

Size: 25 x 18 mm

Colour: Light-brown, heavily speckled with mid-brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Family clan

Like all species of miners, Yellow-throated Miners are highly sociable. They live in family units of up to 10 or 12 birds.

Part of a family clan of Yellow-throated Miners; such congregations tend to be rather noisy affairs...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2011]

Ventral view of a family clan of Yellow-throated Miners resting high up in an eucalypt
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, June 2016]

Yellow-throated Miners that transgress against the rules of the mob get to feel where they belong (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, June 2021]

Food, Diet

Adults: Nectar, insects

Dependents: Insects

Water intake: Daily

Like all Miners of the Manorina family, Yellow-throated Miners feed mostly on insects taken from leaves or bark, rather than nectar.

Yellow-throated Miner feeding head down, taking nectar from mistletoe
[Near Mungindi, NSW, June 2013]

Frontal view of a Yellow-throated Miner taking nectar from a eucalypt
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2011]

Yellow-throated Miner feeding head down, taking nectar from a eucalypt tree
[Pilliga, NSW, November 2013]

Yellow-throated Miner feeding head down on psyllids and lerps from the underside of a tree's leaves
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, May 2006]

Yellow-throated Miner taking a lerp from the underside of an eucalypt leaf (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. George, QLD, August 2018]

Yellow-throated Miner with an insect it has just caught
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2007]

Yellow-throated Miners will happily scavenge food from humans (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Yulara, NT, March 2015]

Yellow-throated Miner with a liking for potato chips; ripple cut seems to be in favour... (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Carramar Golf Course, Perth, WA, April 2016]

Close-up lateral view of a Yellow-throated Miner feeding on the fruit of the introduced weed European Blackberry; note that it is squashing the fruit before swallowing, whereas other species can gulp down fruit whole
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, June 2024]

Near-frontal view of a Yellow-throated Miner having a drink (photo taken through a fence)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2011]

Near-dorsal view of a Yellow-throated Miner drinking from a leaking water storage tank
[Flinders Ranges, SA, March 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.

ytminer_20140120.mp3	flavigula (NW NSW)	Contact calls	© MD
ytminer_20180516.m4a	flavigula (NW NSW)	Upset (mob)	© MD
ytminer_20141109.mp3	flavigula (NW NSW)	Begging calls?	© MD
ytminer_me_20260708.m4a	lutea (W NT)	Dawn chorus	© ME
ytminer_pb_20210222.m4a	lutea (Top End, NT)	? (foraging)	© PB
ytminer_pb_20210222_2.m4a	lutea (Top End, NT)	? (foraging)	© PB
ytminer_cp_20250805.m4a	obscura (Perth, WA)	? (mob)	© CP

More Yellow-throated Miner 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.