Anthochaera carunculata
Description
Size: 330-360mm
Black crown, whiteish face with a red eye. Fleshy red neck ‘wattles’. Grey and white streaked throat and chest. Yellow belly patch. Females are smaller with a shorter tail.
Call
A hacking, cough-like ‘yakayak’.
Distribution
South east, south and south west of mainland Australia.
Nesting
A rough stick nest is built in a fork and lined with grass and bark. Breeding usually takes place from July to November.
Habits
Red Wattlebirds are raucous, flock-feeding honeyeaters. They also take insects and fruit at certain times. When a desirable feed tree is in blossom, Red Wattlebirds will aggressively defend the food source. They occupy eucalypt forests, woodlands, parklands and gardens. Like most honeyeaters, Red Wattlebirds are very nomadic and move on when a particular food source is exhausted. Some flocks exhibit an element of seasonal migration as well.