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Brown Honeyeater

(Lichmera indistincta)
Alternative name: "Least Honeyeater"
Size: 12-16 cm

Habitat
(for details refer to a field guide)

There are three races of Brown Honeyeaters, which inhabit mostly the northern half of the Australian continent. The range of nominate race "indistincta" extends from the south-western corner of WA northwards along the west coast and into the catchments of the Gascoyne River, up to the Fitzroy River (they are not found in the coastal area from about Kalbarri to Lyndon, WA). Further north they occupy the Kimberleys in WA and almost all of the NT, except the south-eastern corner. Their range ends along a north-south line near the tip of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Further east one finds race "ocularis", which has a range from the tip of Cape York, all through QLD (except the farthest south-western corner) and into northern NSW, down to about the Hunter River. There is also a race "melvillensis", found only on Melville Island, just outside Darwin, NT.

Brown Honeyeaters can usually be found in low, dense growth, along water courses or in mangroves, but also in more open forest, e.g. in eucalypts. In particular, they like the flowers of Mugga Ironbark eucalypts. They adapt to the presence of humans quite well and are found in urban parks and gardens, especially in dense growth (e.g. bottlebrushes).

Sightings

Brown Honeyeaters are regular visitors to bottlebrushes and other flowering plants in gardens in towns and cities.

Seen for the first time in our garden south of Narrabri, NSW, in 2005. In early spring of that year a Brown Honeyeater declared a bottlebrush tree its territory. A Brown Honeyeater re-appeared in September 2006, after a long absence during the winter.

Also spotted by us at Sawn Rocks, a part of the Mount Kaputar National Park, about 40 north-east of Narrabri, in March 2007.

Brown Honeyeaters are also found in the area 20-30 km east of Narrabri, where they could be seen and heard all through the winter of 2008 (while there were flowering eucalypt trees), and 20 km south-west of Narrabri. No Brown Honeyeaters came to our place, 20 km east of Narrabri, during the 2010/11 breeding season.

In January 2011 they were also spotted by us on the NSW north coast, in the area from Urunga to Hat Head.

In June 2011 also found along other parts of the NSW coast, e.g. at Wingham, NSW.

Photos

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Frontal view of a Brown Honeyeater in brilliant sunlight

Here a different posture

Lateral view of a Brown Honeyeater

Dorsal view of a Brown Honeyeater

Here a bird's underside

Brown Honeyeater feeding in a bottlebrush tree

Brown Honeyeater feeding on the nectar of an ironbark eucalypt flower

First check whether all is safe

Brown Honeyeater flapping its wings to dry them after a bath

This one is going into all kinds of contortions to dry its plumage

This bird is approaching a waterhole; although usually quite easily approachable, Brown Honeyeaters are very cautious while drinking

Brown Honeyeater drinking from a pond; the birds drink in quick, small sips and do not dip their bills as deep into the water as other species

Here a juvenile bird seen cocking its tail

Juvenile Brown Honeyeater issuing its call

Frontal view of a fledgling Brown Honeyeater seen on a perch approaching a water puddle where it subsequently took a bath; note the different length of the tail feathers

Food

Like many other honeyeaters, Brown Honeyeaters do not exclusively feed on nectar, but take insects too. This is one of the honeyeaters that will feed mostly on nectar. Often seen by us in various kinds of eucalypt, e.g. mugga ironbark and citriodora. They profit from the creation of urban gardens and parks.