Lewin's Honeyeater
A species of Yellow-spotted and Pale-spotted Honeyeaters Scientific name : Meliphaga lewinii Genus : Yellow-spotted and Pale-spotted Honeyeaters
Lewin's Honeyeater, A species of Yellow-spotted and Pale-spotted Honeyeaters
Botanical name: Meliphaga lewinii
Genus: Yellow-spotted and Pale-spotted Honeyeaters
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Aviceda , used under CC-BY-SA-3.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Description
The Lewin's honeyeater is small to medium in size 20–22 cm (7.9–8.7 in). It is dark greenish-grey in colour, with a creamy yellow gape (i.e., the fleshy corners of the mouth). It has large, yellowish, crescent-shaped ear-patches, which distinguish it from other honeyeaters, apart from two similar, but smaller, species in tropical Queensland. In flight, the pale yellow edges of the flight feathers can be seen. The bill is black and the eye is blue-grey. Both sexes are similar in appearance. Young Lewin's honeyeaters are similar to the adults, but have brown eyes. The strong 'machine gun-like' rattling notes of Lewin's honeyeater are heard over long distances, and reveal its presence in an area. Body size, voice, and the shape and size of the ear-patch help in identifying the similar Graceful and Yellow-spotted Honeyeaters in tropical Queensland.
Size
22 cm
Nest Placement
Tree
Feeding Habits
Lewin's Honeyeater predominantly consume fruits, particularly berries, insects, and nectar. They commonly forage solo or in groups up to 10, within upper tree branches and trunks, and are adapted to catch insects mid-flight.
Habitat
Lewin's Honeyeater is predominantly found in moist habitats such as rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests within broader subtropical and temperate regions. It adapts well to areas with dense undergrowth, including forest edges, secondary growth, and even urban parks and gardens with native vegetation remnants. Lewin's Honeyeater may also inhabit open woodlands, mangrove fringes, and agricultural areas like orchards seasonally. Habitually residing from coastal zones up to elevations of 1000 meters, it can migrate downslope during cooler months in higher altitudes.
Dite type
Nectivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Distribution Area
The Lewin's honeyeater prefers the wetter parts of eastern Australia, from northern Queensland to central Victoria. It is found in both rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest, and often wanders into more open woodland. It is a common bird, and its call is often heard in these areas. It is a rather sedentary species, tending to stay in the same area all year round, although some altitudinal migration, to lower elevations in the cooler winter months, occurs.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Photo By Aviceda , used under CC-BY-SA-3.0 /Cropped and compressed from original