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Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops) Alternate name(s): "Whisky", "Yellow Whisker" Size: 17-23 cm Body mass: 20-40 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-tufted Honeyeaters are small to medium-sized nectar-eating birds. Their throat is yellow, the rest of the front is yellowish-grey. Their most prominent feature is a conspicuous, broad black eye stripe continuing on to the ear coverts, with a small, bright-yellow tuft at its end. The crown is yellow with grey streaks, while the mantle is greyish-brown. The wings are also greyish-brown, with yellowish-olive leading edges on the flight feathers. The tail is greyish-olive. The irises are dark-brown. The slightly down-curved bill is dark-grey; the legs and feet are grey. Race "cassidix" (the "Helmeted Honeyeater"; not shown here) has a yellow forehead and crown and a yellow tuft on its frons. Juveniles have duller colours than adults.

Taxonomy, classification See Yellow-tufted 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-tufted Honeyeater is available HERE . Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters are endemic to eastern Australia. All three races of Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters are found in the south-eastern corner of the Australian continent. Nominate race "melanops" has a range that is restricted to the coastal side of the Great Dividing Range through NSW. In southern QLD (in a wide coastal strip up to about Rockhampton), on the inland side of the Great Dividing Range in NSW and throughout most of VIC race "meltoni" is found. Race "cassidix" (not shown here) is also called the "Helmeted Honeyeater"; it exists only in a very restricted range just to the East of Melbourne, VIC, and is critically endangered. Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters can usually be found in eucalypt forest with undergrowth, often near watercourses. They do not like to venture out into open country.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "melanops" B. Hensen reports spotting a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, nominate race "melanops", at St. Albans, NSW, in September 2013. Race "meltoni" We first came across Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters, race "meltoni", at Sawn Rocks, Mt. Kaputar NP, near Narrabri, NSW, in 2004. They are found there reliably since then. Later they were also found at other locations on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, e.g. at Deriah Aboriginal Area, 30 km East of Narrabri, where they are also permanent residents, but also farther to the South. In December 2015 they were spotted by us at Munghorn Gap NR near Mudgee, NSW. C. Hayne reports spotting a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, race "meltoni", at Whittaker's Lagoon, 20 km West of Moree, NSW, in August 2011. A Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, race "meltoni", was also spotted in dry woodland 25 km West of Moree in August 2011, at a location that is far outside the species' normal range. Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters, race "meltoni", were spotted by us in Girraween NP, near Stanthorpe, QLD, in January 2017, and in Mann River Nature Reserve, near Glen Innes, NSW, in July 2019. M. Eaton reports spotting Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters, race "meltoni", at Durikai SF, near Warwick, QLD, in August 2017. Others were found at Girraween NP, QLD, in November 2024. R. Plumtree reports spotting a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, race "meltoni", at Sheep Station Creek, near Swifts Creek, East Gippsland, VIC, in July 2018.

Photos

Race "melanops"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, September 2013]

Race "meltoni"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Close-up frontal view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, April 2021]

Close-up frontal view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, August 2022]

Close-up frontal view of a preening Yellow-tufted Honeyeater - note the prominent black and yellow tufts giving the species its name
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, February 2018]

Close-up frontal view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater looking sideways
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, February 2018]

Close-up frontal view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater looking sideways
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, August 2022]

Lateral view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Durikai SF, near Warwick, QLD, August 2017]

Near-lateral view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Sheep Station Creek, near Swifts Creek, East Gippsland, VIC, July 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, September 2007]

Close-up near-lateral/ventral view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, April 2021]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater looking downwards
[Girraween NP, QLD, January 2017]

Lateral view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Durikai SF, near Warwick, QLD, March 2018]

Close-up lateral/ventral view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater looking towards the observer
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, March 2025]

This lateral/ventral view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater shows the typical honeyeater brush tongue - no offence intended
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mann River Nature Reserve, near Glen Innes, NSW, July 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
[Girraween NP, QLD, January 2017]

Lateral view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater at full reverse thrust (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Kooyoora State Park, near Bendigo, VIC, September 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Full-frontal view of a juvenile Yellow-tufted Honeyeater; note the yellow gape
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Girraween NP, QLD, November 2024]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Girraween NP, QLD, November 2024]

Lateral view of two juvenile Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Girraween NP, QLD, November 2024]

Two different views of probably a juvenile Yellow-tufted Honeyeater drinking water from a puddle; note the bluish base of the bill and the absence of a tail
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, April 2008]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Girraween NP, QLD, November 2024]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Dispersive/sedentary

Elementary unit: Pair

Lateral view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater still wet from taking a bath (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Girraween NP, QLD, November 2024]

4 Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters that were found by us having a "lively discussion"
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, February 2025]

Food, Diet

Adults: Nectar, insects

Dependents: Insects

Water intake: Daily

Like many other honeyeaters, Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters do not exclusively feed on nectar, but take insects and spiders too. They are also known to feed on fruit and sap.

Near-frontal view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater feeding head down, taking nectar from a eucalypt
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, August 2013]

View onto the upperparts of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater feeding head down in a clump of flowering Mistletoe
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, April 2017]

A Yellow-tufted Honeyeater is so far the first and only bird we have seen feeding on nectar and/or pollen of an acacia tree (which we had seen so far only being used by insects); we could not find any evidence that the bird took insects, rather than nectar, ffrom the flowers
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, March 2013]

Yellow-tufted Honeyeater taking nectar from Urn Heath
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, June 2014]

Near-frontal view of a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater and a Fuscous Honeyeater hawking for insects from a Casuarina, together with more birds of the same species and with Singing Honeyeaters and White-plumed Honeyeaters, all hunting out of the one tree
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, December 2012]

Near-lateral view of two Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters drinking water from a water hole (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Durikai SF, near Warwick, QLD, August 2017]

Lateral view of a mob of Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters approaching a water hole (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Durikai SF, near Warwick, QLD, August 2017]

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.

yelthon_20180131.m4a	meltoni (NW NSW)	Contact calls (Q&A)	© MD
yelthon_20220826_2.mp3	meltoni (NW NSW)	Contact calls (Q&A)	© MD
yelthon_20181002.m4a	meltoni (NW NSW)	Alarm calls (Aerial predator)	© MD
yelthon_20140612_2.mp3	meltoni (NW NSW)	Alarm calls (mob)	© MD
yelthon_20240218_2.m4a	meltoni (NW NSW)	Squabbling (in-flight)	© MD
yelthon_20160730.m4a	meltoni (NW NSW)	(Feeding on psyllids)	© MD
yelthon_20181002_2.m4a	meltoni (NW NSW)	Feeding calls?	© MD
yelthon_20220301.m4a	meltoni (NW NSW)	Various	© MD
yelthon_20220901.mp3	meltoni (NW NSW)	? (rasping calls)	© MD
yelthon_20250313_2.m4a	meltoni (NW NSW)	? (rasping calls)	© MD
yelthon_20260420.m4a	meltoni (NW NSW)	?	© MD

On 13 March 2014 we noticed the following peculiarity: On five separate occasions Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters responded to a call by a White-throated Treecreeper. Our recordings suggest a direct relation between the White-throated Treecreeper call and the response. A single chirp did not warrant a response, but repeated calls did. The more vigorous the White-throated Treecreeper call, the more energetic the response by a group of Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters. The recordings are sorted by the intensity of the calls. In the last recording of the sequence, the Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters are "triggered" twice in quick succession.

yelthon_20140313_6.mp3	meltoni (NW NSW)	Response to other species	© MD
yelthon_20140313_5.mp3	meltoni (NW NSW)	Response to other species	© MD
yelthon_20140313_4.mp3	meltoni (NW NSW)	Response to other species	© MD
yelthon_20140313.mp3	meltoni (NW NSW)	Response to other species	© MD
yelthon_20140313_2.mp3	meltoni (NW NSW)	Response to other species	© MD

More Yellow-tufted 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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