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Fuscous Honeyeater

(Lichenostomus fuscus)
Size: 15-17 cm

Habitat
(for details refer to a field guide)

Of the two races of Fuscous Honeyeater race "subgermanus" is found in QLD, in a wide coastal strip including the hills of the Great Dividing Range, from about the base of Cape York peninsula in the north to about Rockhampton in the south. Nominate race "fuscus" lives to the south of Rockhampton, in southern QLD and all through the coastal fringe and ranges of NSW (except the lower Hunter), well into the ranges of central VIC. In some years they extend their range into the Murray River catchment, but are not found along the south coast, but Fuscus Honeyeaters will not venture out into the plains in either northern NSW or QLD.

Fuscous Honeyeaters are usually found in open forest and woodland. We often see them in cypress and black pines, hunting for insects.

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 Great 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

Frontal view of an adult Fuscous Honeyeater

Near-frontal view of an adult Fuscous Honeyeater

Lateral view of an adult Fuscous Honeyeater

Fuscous Honeyeater approaching a rocky waterhole

Some Fuscous Honeyeater acrobatics

Frontal view of an immature Fuscous Honeyeater

Immature Fuscous Honeyeater; here the typical yellowish base of the bill and fine yellow eyering are clearly visible

The same bird as above, with its tongue sticking out

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial Mobility: Dispersive Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

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 soil

Food

Like many other honeyeaters, Fuscous Honeyeaters do not exclusively feed on nectar, but take insects too.

Lateral view of a Fuscous Honeyeater searching for insects

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