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Striated Pardalote

(Pardalotus striatus)
Alternative name: "Striated Diamond-bird"
Size: 9.5-11.5 cm

Habitat
(for details refer to a field guide)

There are in total six races of Striated Pardalotes in Australia; for details see a field guide. Striated Pardalotes are found in most parts of the Australian continent and Tasmania, except the most arid parts, i.e. the Simpson Desert and the area from the Nullarbor to south of the Kimberleys (essentially the western part of WA and the south-west corner of the NT. The tropical north, northward of a line connecting Townsville, QLD, and Broome, WA, is populated by race "uropygialis", except Bathurst and Melville Islands outside Darwin, NT, where race "melvillensis" is found. Along the QLD coast south of Townsville and the Great Dividing Range behind the coastal strip one finds race "melanocephalus". Along the NSW and VIC coast and Great Dividing Range there is race "ornatus". The rest of the continent, with the exceptions made above, is populated by race "substriatus". Nominate race "striatus" is found in Tasmania and the small islands along Bass Strait.

Striated Pardalotes can be found in eucalypt forest and open woodland.

Sightings

We spotted birds of race "substriatus" in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia, in March 2008. The wing spot is red and the head is entirely striated.

In the years prior to 2007, we spotted Striated Pardalotes only a few times in our area, near Narrabri, NSW. Sightings were 20-25 km south of Narrabri, 25 km west, 30 km north and 20 km east of town, indicating a widespread distribution.

Then a pair of Striated Pardalotes built its nest close to our place 20 km east of Narrabri in 2007/08. They nested later than Speckled Warblers and stayed around the place throughout spring and summer, during which they could be seen and heard around the house frequently and, starting in January, their offspring came around.

The classification of the birds found in northern NSW is difficult, because this is the transition zone between two races. The first two photos below show that the wing spot is red. The forehead is solid black, but behind the eyes and in the neck the birds are striated. This indicates a mixture between races "melanocephalus" (black-headed) and "substriatus" (striated head). Since the tops of the heads of the adult birds are so dark, they are probably subspecies "melanocephalus".

Photos

Race "substriatus"

View from beneath of a Striated Pardalote "substriatus"

Different angle

Lateral view of a bird with food for its chick; try as we might, we could not find the young bird that we heard responding to the adult's calls

Immature Striated Pardalote "substriatus"

Race "melanocephalus"

Frontal view of a Striated Pardalote, race melanocephalus

Races "melanocephalus/substriatus"

Frontal view of a Striated Pardalote ; note how the black cap indicates race "melanocephalus", while the striated pattern around the eyes and the wing markings show the influence of race "substriatus"

Near-frontal view of a Striated Pardalote ; again the black cap indicates race "melanocephalus", while the striated pattern around the eyes and the wing markings show the influence of race "substriatus"

Lateral view of the same bird as above

Close-up view from behind of a Striated Pardalote "substriatus"

Here a bird approaching a water hole

Immature Striated Pardalote melanocephalus / substriatus

Here a young bird begging for food

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Jan Eggs: 3 - 4 Incubation period: 14 - 16 days Fledging age: ca. 21 - 28 days

Nest

Striated Pardalotes not only build their own nests, but have also been observed by us recycling other species' nests.

Type: Tree hollow with dome basket Material: Bark strips, grass Height above ground: 2 - 10 m

Striated Pardalote collecting nesting material; this photo was taken in the fourth week of July 2011

Threads of palm leaves are highly appreciated by many species as material for lining their nests

Striated Pardalote at the entrance of its nesting hollow in an ironbark eucalypt tree

This Fairy Martin nest (the one with the bottle shape right at the centre) was re-used by a pair of Striated Pardalotes; an attempt to photograph a bird when entering or leaving failed due to bad light under the overhanging rock

Eggs

Size:18 x 15 mm Colour: White Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial Mobility: Migratory/dispersive Elementary unit: Pair

Food

Striated Pardalotes forage through the foliages of trees for small insects. They are often credited with the title "Saviour of the trees" and the photo below gives an example why - note the lerps the bird has in its bill.

Striated Pardalote with a good haul of lerps