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Habitat

(for details refer to a field guide)

There are four races of Noisy Miners, all of which live in the east and south-east of the Australian continent. The northernmost, race "titaniota", is found only in the area from Mossman to Lakefield, QLD. Throughout the Great Dividing Range further south race "lipidota" is found, all through eastern QLD and NSW, into northern VIC and south-eastern SA. The exception to this is the coastal fringe of VIC and NSW, south of the Manning River in NSW, where one finds nominate race "melanocephala". Race "leachi" is only present in Tasmania.

Noisy Miners are usually found in open forest and remnant woodland. They adapt well to the presence of humans and will enter urban parks and gardens as well.

Sightings

Noisy Miners are a gregarious bunch. Often seen around flowering trees, for example bottlebrushes and eucalypts; only rarely spotted 20 km south of Narrabri, NSW, in 2003-2006, but frequent visitors 25 km west of town, at the Australia Telescope Compact Array observatory. Also spotted regularly 20 km east of Narrabri.

The Narrabri region is now located in an overlap area between the habitats of two species of Miners: Noisy Miners and the apparently very similar Yellow-throated Miners.

Also sighted at various locations to the east of the Great Dividing Range, in the area from Rockhampton, QLD, to Sydney, NSW.

Photos

Race "lepidota"

Frontal view of a curious Noisy Miner checking out the photographer from a cypress pinetree

Lateral view of a Noisy Miner at close range

An upset Noisy Miner squawking at the intruder that unknowingly had come too close to its lair

Here a Noisy Miner checking out an Australian Magpie

Breeding information

Breeding season: May - Jan

Eggs: 2 - 3

Incubation period: 16 days

Fledging age: 17 - 19 days

Given the right conditions, Noisy Miners can breed any time of the year.

Nest

Type: Basket

Material: Twigs, grass

Height above ground: 1 - 20 m

Below photos of a Noisy Miner on its nest under the roof of a carport 25 km west of Narrabri, NSW.

Noisy Miner sitting on its nest

The same bird as above, now cleaning nest

Here seen tending to the newly hatched chicks

Here is pop Noisy Miner bringing in some tucker

Eggs

Size: 25 x 20 mm

Colour: Creamy, heavily speckled with dark-brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Family clan

Noisy Miners are used by other bird species as "sentries". When their alarm call is heard, other birds will leave the area.

They form flocks of up to around 20 birds to chase away intruders such as e.g. Australian Ravens. They have earned their name as "Snakebirds", because they raise a vociferous alarm whenever a snake is in sight.

As all other nectar-eating species staying in the Narrabri area during wintertime, Noisy Miners are also omnivores.

Everybody knows that Noisy Miners can make a nuisance of themselves. Below an example - a family clan "inspecting" a disused Little Friarbirds' nest. We had observed them in the area before and are sure that, given a chance, they would have raided that nest even when it was in use. But we do not know what the Noisy Miners were looking for, since they do not build hanging nests themselves.

Family clan of Noisy Miners inspecting a Little Friarbirds' nest

Closer view of the last one to leave

Food

Like all Miners of the Manorina family, Noisy Miners do not exclusively feed on nectar, but also on insects taken from leaves or bark.

Here a Noisy Miner can be seen picking lerps off the underside of eucalypt leaves

Additional information

There is a separate page with a short description of Psyllids and lerps.