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Yellow Wattlebird (Anthochaera paradoxa) Alternate name(s): "Wattle-bird*", "Long-wattle Bird", "Tasmanian Wattlebird" Size: 38-48 cm Body mass: 105-210 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 Wattlebirds are by far the tallest wattlebirds (and thereby the tallest nectar-eating birds) in Australia. They have long yellow-orange wattles hanging from their cheeks. The face, except for some fine grey stripes, is mostly white. The frons, crown and neck are streaked dark-grey on white. The upper chest is streaked dark-grey on white. This streaking continues down the breast and along the flanks, becoming wider and with decreasing contrast downwards, surrounding the characteristic yellow belly patch. The back is scalloped grey-brown with light-grey edge lining. The wing feathers have white front edges. The long grey tail has feathers of tapered length, each ending in a white tip on the underside. The irises are brown. The bill is dark-grey, while the legs and feet are greyish-pink. Juveniles have shorter wattles and no yellow belly patch yet.

Taxonomy, classification See Yellow Wattlebird 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 Wattlebird is available HERE . Yellow Wattlebirds are found only on Tasmania and King Island in the Bass Strait. Basically the eastern 2/3 of Tasmania are populated by race "paradoxa". Occasionally, they venture a bit further west, but they do not normally cross to the (usually wet and windy) western side of the central highlands and they basically never reach the West coast of Tasmania. The range of race "kingi" is restricted to King Island, to the North-west of Tasmania. Yellow Wattlebirds have a preference for eucalypt forest and woodland, in particular coastal heath with young eucalypts. They will also visit gardens in search of nectar.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "paradoxa" B. Hensen reports spotting Yellow Wattlebirds, race "paradoxa", in Hobart, TAS, and on Bruny Island, TAS, in March 2016. M. Eaton found a Yellow Wattlebird, race "paradoxa", at Mt. Nelson, Hobart, TAS, and along the Queen Elizabeth Track, Bruny Island, TAS, in April 2021. M. Eaton also spotted Yellow Wattlebirds, race "paradoxa", at Dover, TAS, in September 2021, where they were nesting at the time.

Photos

Race "paradoxa"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an adult Yellow Wattlebird; note the long wattles with their orange tips (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Hobart, TAS, March 2016]

Frontal view of a Yellow Wattlebird issuing its call (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Hobart, TAS, March 2016]

Near-frontal view of a Yellow Wattlebird letting its wattles fly (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral view of a Yellow Wattlebird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Elizabeth Track, Bruny Island, TAS, April 2021]

Lateral view of a Yellow Wattlebird issuing its call; note the tapered length of the tail feathers (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Hobart, TAS, March 2016]

Near-dorsal view of a Yellow Wattlebird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bruny Island, TAS, March 2016]

Dorsal view of a Yellow Wattlebird looking back over its shoulder (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mt. Nelson, Hobart, TAS, April 2021]

Dorsal view of a Yellow Wattlebird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Hobart, TAS, March 2016]

Dorsal view of a Yellow Wattlebird issuing its call (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Hobart, TAS, March 2016]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jul - Apr

Eggs: 2 - 3

Incubation period: ca. 16 days

Fledging age: ca. 21 days

Yellow Wattlebirds usually have two broods per season.

Nest building: Female

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Male Yellow Wattlebirds incubate during the day, while females taken on the "night shift".

Nest

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

Type: Basket

Material: Twigs, bark, with fine grass and feather lining

Height above ground: 2 - 20 m

Lateral view of a Yellow Wattlebird at its nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Yellow Wattlebird delivering food to its chick (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Yellow Wattlebird feeding its chick (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Yellow Wattlebird feeding its chick first from one side (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Yellow Wattlebird feeding its chick now from the other side (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Eggs

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

Size: 36 x 24 mm

Colour: Creamy, with brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

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.

yelwatt_me_20210919.m4a

paradoxa (S TAS)

Contact calls

© ME

More Yellow Wattlebird 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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