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White-plumed HoneyeaterAlternative names: "Greenie", "Linner", "Chickoowee", "Ringeye", "Ringneck", "Australian Canary*" Size: 15-17 cm Weight: 19 g (average) |
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Similar species |
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SUBSECTIONS:
Classification
Distribution
Sightings
Photos
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
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Taxonomy, classification |
See White-plumed
Honeyeater
at Wikipedia 
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
(for details refer to a field guide) |
Click here to display information on habitat,
range and finding this species
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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
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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]
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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.
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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]
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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 |
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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.
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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]
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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]
