Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
Description
Size: 170-180mm
Sexes alike. Longish down-curved bill. Black head and back, white iris. White eyebrow and white whisker and ear tufts. Elongated throat feathers. Black and yellow back and tail, white belly streaked black.
Call
A repeated, sharp ‘jik’, high-pitched ‘tsee’ and assorted rattles.
Distribution
Eastern seaboard from about Gympie to Eyre Peninsula. Tasmania and s-w corner of WA.
Nesting
New Holland Honeyeaters breed mostly from July to January. They build a rough, cup nest of twigs and grasses, usually in a low shrub or some bracken.
Habits
Active and often gregarious. They prefer native woodlands with scrubby understory, heathlands, public parks and gardens. New Holland Honeyeaters are reliant on a steady supply of nectar and will follow the flowering patterns of plants throughout a district. They are common and generally sedentary with some nomadism.