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White-eared HoneyeaterSize: 19-22 cm |
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Habitat |
(for details refer to a field guide) |
Of the four races of White-eared Honeyeaters nominate race "leucotis" is found only on the seaside of the Great Dividing Range, from about Brisbane, QLD, to Naracoorte, SA. Race "novaenorciae" lives on the inland side of the Great Dividing Range, from about Charters Towers, QLD, down through NSW, also including the central NSW inland, continuing into the lower Murray-Darling Basin and on to Eyre peninsula in SA. Race "novaenoricae" is also found in south-western WA, in an area delimited by a line connecting Geraldton, Kalgoorlie and the WA/SA borderpoint on the south coast, but without the south-western tip including Perth. Race "thomasi" exists only on Kangaroo Island, SA.
White-eared Honeyeaters are found in various types of forest and woodland, including mallee. They do not like to venture out into open terrain.
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Sightings |
White-eared Honeyeaters did not come into our garden south of Narrabri, NSW (2003-2006). They clearly preferred staying in the bush (just 50 m away), rather than crossing open terrain. However, we spotted them regularly in the neighbouring scrub, in Jack's Creek State Forest, where they were not particularly shy. Also seen by us in other parts of the Pilliga scrub.
20 km east of Narrabri, on a property with a small patch of bushland, White-eared Honeyeaters come only very rarely.
They are seen regularly by us in various parts of Mt. Kaputar National Park, some 30-40 km east of Narrabri, at high altitudes of up to 1500 m, where they have been seen hunting insects in low scrub and taking nectar from eucalypts.
Seen also 15 km east of Narrabri in June 2008, where they came to check out the human intruders into their territory, before taking off into the dense growth of young cypress pine trees.
Also spotted by us at Porcupine Reserve, Gunnedah, NSW. Since this pocket of bushland is surrounded by wide stretches of open farmland, it is possible that this population of White-eared Honeyeaters is isolated.
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Photos |
Race "novaenorciae"
Frontal view of a White-eared Honeyeater
This bird was observed in sparse scrub on a mountain top at
an altitude of 1300 m
More lateral view of a White-eared Honeyeater
White-eared Honeyeater looking around cautiously while
approaching a waterhole
Lateral view of the same bird as above, now having a drink;
one can see how the tongue is used to slurp up water
Here a White-eared Honeyeater issuing its dual-tone call
These two seemed to have a bit of a stand-off...
Frontal view of an immature White-eared Honeyeater; note that the
cap is still olive-green and the throat still grey, rather than black
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Behaviour |
| Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Dispersive/ sedentary | Elementary unit: Solitary/pair |
White-eared Honeyeaters are one of the bird species that will come close to check out intruders into their territories. However, they hardly ever came to our place, only a few kilometres from dense bushland in the foothills of the Nandewar Range.
The bird below was observed by us guarding its territory on a sparsely vegetated mountain top from various vantage points, some on plants, some on rocks.
White-eared Honeyeater guarding its territory
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Food |
Like many other honeyeaters, White-eared Honeyeaters do not exclusively feed on nectar, but take insects and spiders too. They are known to also take fruit.
This White-eared Honeyeater, which has its territory on a sparsely
vegetated mountain top at 1300 m altitude, has caught an insect
