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Fuscous Honeyeater |
Sightings
Fuscous Honeyeaters do not appear on the open plains, west of the Nandewar range. We spotted Fuscous Honeyeaters for the first time in January 2006, first around Sawn Rocks, Mount Kaputar National Park near Narrabri. Later also seen further south, not far from Barraba. Again spotted in October of 2006 in the same area.
Since 2007 spotted regularly on the western fringes of Mt. Kaputar National Park, 30 km east of Narrabri, in the foothills of the dividing range. There they are more common than e.g. White-plumed Honeyeaters, which were much more common were we lived from 2003 to 2006, just 20 km further out towards the plains.
Not seen yet 20 km east of Narrabri, just 5 km from the bushland of the Nandewar Range, where they are common to abundant.
Photos
Lateral view of an adult Fuscous Honeyeater (click on image for larger version)
Fuscous Honeyeater approaching a rocky waterhole (click on image for larger version)
Lateral view of a Fuscous Honeyeater (click on image for larger version)
The same bird as above, slightly different viewing angle, with incredibly different colour perception; now a lot more of the typical olive-green of many honeyeater species can be seen (click on image for larger version)
Some Fuscous Honeyeater acrobatics (click on image for larger version)
Immature Fuscous Honeyeater 50 km south-east of Narrabri, New South Wales, spotted it in January 2006
Immature Fuscous Honeyeater (II); here the typical yellowish base of the bill and fine yellow eyering are clearly visible
Habits
Fuscous Honeyeaters are the only honeyeaters observed by us so far foraging on bare soil, see photo. It is unknown to us what kind of food they find there.
Fuscous Honeyeater on a hardened dirt road, where it was seen picking at the ground