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Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater |
Sightings
As the field guides explain, if you can't see them you may well hear them. Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters have a number of funny calls that cannot be mistaken. They visited us quite often south of Narrabri, mostly when our Bottlebrush tree was blossoming. They like the flowers of Grevillea bushes as well.
Photos
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater in a Casuarina tree, where it was feeding on nectar from its flowers in September 2006; note the blue eyering (click on image for larger version)
The characteristic profile of an adult Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (click on image for larger version)
Relaxing in a eucalypt tree (click on image for larger version)
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater feeding in a Grevillea bush (I; click on image for larger version)
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater feeding in a Grevillea bush (II; click on image for larger version)
Here one hovering in front of a leaking garden sprinkler (click on image for larger version)
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater with its tongue sticking out - no offense intended; the moment this photo was taken, the bird was in fact calling (click on image for larger version)
Immature Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, with the characteristic yellowish spiny feathers (click on image for larger version)
Fledgling Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
"Stacked" Honeyeaters - Striped (above) and Spiny-cheeked (below) 20 km east of Narrabri, New South Wales
Habits
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters can gather in relatively large groups of up to about 20, while at other times it is hard to spot even one. They gather in areas where there are bushes or trees blossoming.
In the area of Narrabri we have not seen any birds calling in display flights, as described in field guides. It is possible that they use this technique only in the absence of suitable perches from which they can mark their territory.