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18

White-plumed Honeyeater

(Lichenostomus penicillatus)
Alternative names: "Greenie", "Linner", "Chickoowee", "Ringeye", "Ringneck", "Australian Canary*"
Size: 15-17 cm
Weight: 19 g (average)

Similar species

SUBSECTIONS:      Classification      Distribution      Sightings      Photos      Breeding      Nest      Eggs      Behaviour      Food     

Taxonomy, classification

See White-plumed Honeyeater at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

(for details refer to a field guide)

Click here to display information on habitat, range and finding this species

Sightings

White-plumed Honeyeaters, race "penicillatus", were visible and audible around the place where we lived in 2003-2006, 20 km south of Narrabri, NSW, on the edge of the Pilliga scrub, basically every day, except the coldest season.

Click here to display more sighting information

Photos

Race "penicillatus"

Close-up portrait of a White-plumed Honeyeater
[Near Narrabri, NSW, June 2012]

Frontal view of a White-plumed Honeyeater; note the clearly visible passerine foothold
[20 km south of Narrabri, NSW, May 2012]

Near-lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater; note the clearly visible passerine foothold
[20 km south of Narrabri, NSW, May 2012]

Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater
[Near Narrabri, NSW, June 2012]

Lateral view of a White-plumed Honeyeater, different posture
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2011]

Near-dorsal view of a White-plumed Honeyeater approaching a waterhole (photo taken by R. Druce)

Frontal and dorsal view of White-plumed Honeyeaters (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, July 2011]

White-plumed Honeyeater checking the surroundings while drinking from a waterhole
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, December 2011]

Here the same White-plumed Honeyeater seen drinking
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, December 2011]

White-plumed Honeyeater scooping up water
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, December 2011]

White-plumed Honeyeater with an itch...
[Manilla, NSW, May 2013]

Frontal view of an immature White-plumed Honeyeater
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, December 2011]

Frontal view of an immature White-plumed Honeyeater; different posture
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2012]

Near-frontal view of an immature White-plumed Honeyeater
[January 2011]

Immature White-plumed Honeyeater, slightly different posture
[Deriah Forest, NSW, March 2008]

This immature White-plumed Honeyeater is studying the photographer
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2012]

Lateral view of an immature White-plumed Honeyeater
[Deriah Forest, NSW, March 2008]

Immature White-plumed Honeyeater having a drink
[O'Brien's Creek, Narrabri Lake, NSW, January 2011]

This immature White-plumed Honeyeater and its mates were fascinated by a piece of netting
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2012]

Juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater being fed by its parents
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2012]

Juvenile White-plumed Honeyeater begging for food
[Deriah Forest, NSW, March 2009]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jun - Jan Eggs: 2 - 3 Incubation period: 14 days Fledging age: ca. 15 days

Given the right conditions, White-plumed Honeyeaters can breed any time of the year.

Nest

"bungobittah", "malunna" = Nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Hanging basket Material: Root fibres, grass stems, webs Height above ground: 1 - 10

Here a view of a White-plumed Honeyeater chick in its nest in a White Cedar tree.

White-plumed Honeyeater chicks in their nest, waiting to be fed
[Near Coonabarabran, NSW, November 2010]

Here a White-plumed Honeyeater's nest in a more open spot
[20 km south of Narrabri, NSW, 2005]

White-plumed Honeyeater carrying rootlets for its nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2012]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "nooluk" "pateena" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]

Size: 20 x 15 mm Colour: Creamy, with light-brown speckles Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

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

White-plumed Honeyeaters are one of the species that like a good splash every day; however, they do not only use shallow bowls or puddles for taking their bath - instead they fly from perches onto the surface of standing water fluttering their wings, just touching the surfaces and getting half-emersed before taking off back to the perch again (see photo below).

Action shot of a White-plumed Honeyeater flying in for a bath
[20 km south of Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]

White-plumed Honeyeater making a splash; it is normal for birds of this species to fully immerse themselves before flying back to their perches soaking wet; they will repeat this up to about 10 times
[O'Brien's Creek, Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2013]

Another unexpected experience was seeing White-plumed Honeyeaters foraging for insects in tree bark in wintertime.

Food, Diet

Adults: Nectar, insects Dependents: Insects Water intake: Daily

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

White-plumed Honeyeater feeding on nectar in a bottlebrush tree
[20 km south of Narrabri, NSW, 2005]

Dorsal view of an immature White-plumed Honeyeater feeding head-down on nectar
[20 km south of Narrabri, NSW, December 2005]

White-plumed Honeyeater with an insect it has just caught
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, April 2013]

This White-plumed Honeyeater is taking psyllids and lerps
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]

Additional information

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

This White-plumed Honeyeater is taking a psyllid with lerp
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2013]

Here the same White-plumed Honeyeater as shown above is seen taking a psyllid without lerp
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2013]

These pages are largely based on our own observations. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.