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Striped HoneyeaterAlternative name: "Lanceolated Honeyeater" |
Sightings
Striped Honeyeaters are less common where we lived until 2006, south of Narrabri, than for example Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters. However, we spotted Striped Honeyeaters regularly at our former neighbour's place in 2004 and 2005. After the notable scarcity in those years, Striped Honeyeaters were a lot more widespread in 2006.
Striped Honeyeaters were regular visitors 20 km east of Narrabri during the spring and summer of 2007 and 2008.
Seen by us regularly in the western foothills of the Nandewar Range, 30 km east of Narrabri, in the years 2007-2009.
Photos
Frontal view from beneath of a Striped Honeyeater in a eucalypt tree (click on image for larger version); note that its feathers are not wet from a bath, but spiny, similar to those of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters. They are displayed to impress females (see photo below)
View of the beautiful stripe pattern from behind (click on image for larger version)
Striped Honeyeater drinking from a water bowl (click on image for larger version)
Lateral view of a Striped Honeyeater (click on image for larger version)
Profile view of a Striped Honeyeater (click on image for larger version)
"Stacked" Honeyeaters - Striped (above) and Spiny-cheeked (below) 20 km east of Narrabri, New South Wales
Male Striped Honeyeater posing and singing a ballad for his lady...
Striped Honeyeater feeding one of three fledgling chicks waiting silently in an acacia tree (click on image for larger version)
The same chick (the strongest of the three), having climbed to a higher branch than its siblings, getting the feed again (click on image for larger version)
Close-up view of the same little Striped Honeyeater (click on image for larger version)
This photo of a fledgling Striped Honeyeater (this one still had trouble flying and finding its balance on the perch) shows clearly the brown tints of the wing plumage that will completely disappear when the bird molts into its adult plumage (click on image for larger version)
Nest
In the spring of 2007 a pair of Striped Honeyeaters started building a nest in our garden, 20 km east of Narrabri. However, the nest was later abandoned, because the birds could not establish themselves in the habitat due to the presence of various other, stronger species, such as Noisy Friarbirds, Little Friarbirds and, most prominently, Singing Honeyeaters.
The nest shown in the photos below was found 30 km east of Narrabri, in the area of Deriah Forest, in January 2008.
Striped Honeyeater's nest with chicks inside (not visible on the photo; click on image for larger version)
Adult Striped Honeyeater entering the nest (click on image for larger version)
Adult Striped Honeyeater sitting on the nest; note how the tail sticks out, because there is no room inside the nest (click on image for larger version)
The following year we found a nest in a flowering mistletoe (click on image for larger version)
Here one of the adults bringing home food for the chicks (click on image for larger version)