Eungella Honeyeater Bolemoreus hindwoodi Scientific name definitions

17·2–19·7 cm; male 20–27·2g, female 19·7–24 g. Plumage is dark grey-brown above, with fine pale grey scalloping on forehead and crown, fine pale grey streaking on mantle, back and scapulars; blackish face with narrow off-white gape and moustachial stripe extending below and behind eye and almost meeting small off-white patch at upper rear edge of eye; narrow upswept off-white plume on rear ear-coverts, finely bordered in front by yellow (difficult to see in field); tail feathers have dull yellow-olive edges; fine pale streaking on secondary upperwing-coverts and fine white tips on outer few median coverts, weak yellow-­olive wash on secondaries, fine off-white edges on primaries; underbody slightly paler grey-brown than upperparts, finely streaked off-white throughout; undertail brownish-grey, underwing largely brownish-grey with buff lining; iris blue-grey to greenish-blue; bill black; legs bluish-grey. Sexes alike in plumage, male larger than female. Juvenile is like adult, but with rufous-brown wash on top of head, and browner lower rump and uppertail-coverts.

SE Clarke (Eungella) Range, near Mackay (E Queensland), in NE Australia.

Mainly higher-altitude rainforest; sometimes at edge; visits lowland eucalypt and casuarina forests and woodlands, and gardens. Usually above 900 m, but recorded as low as 150 m.

Resident; some local movements, including descent to lower altitudes in winter by some individuals.

Diet mainly nectar and fruit, also some insects and parts of flowers. Forages mainly in canopy, among foliage of trees and in climbing plants, less often in understorey trees and shrubs. Nectar taken by probing flowers, including Amyema mistletoes and climbing pandanus (Freycinetia excelsa); insects and lerp gleaned from bark or beneath loose bark and in other crevices, and branches of trees and shrubs; captures insects also by sally-striking, often then bringing item back to perch to be eaten. Also takes fruits (e.g. of mistletoe) and eats flowers, e.g. tearing long, soft fleshy segments from centre of pandanus flowers and swallowing them whole. Usually singly or in twos (probably pairs); sometimes in small groups in flowering trees.

Typically quiet, but can be noisy at flowering trees. Vocalizations loud, strong and varied. Song a varying but short series of metallic notes, beginning with rather harsh rattle. Soft “chip” contact call; also a short sharp “chip”, “tick” or “churr”.

Few details of season, but appears to be centred on spring, with building noted late Aug and mid-Oct, eggs Oct and nestlings Oct–Nov. Nest built by both sexes, a deep cup of fine plant fibre, covered with moss on outside, one with external diameter 7·6–8·9 cm, depth 6·4 cm, suspended 4·2–20 m (average 12·8 m) above ground, at least sometimes from horizontal twigs at end of tree branch, where well hidden in foliage, reported also in mistletoe, and sometimes on steep slope. One nest held 2 eggs (not known if clutch complete); incubation probably by only one of the pair, period probably 13–14 days; chicks fed by both parents, nestling period probably 14–15 days at one nest, more than 9 days at another; fledglings fed by both parents.

Not globally threatened. Restrictedrange species: present in Clarke Range Secondary Area. No estimates of abundance levels; once, c. 100 individuals recorded in one day. Global range tiny, and numbers presumably small. Found mainly in rainforest; dependent on protection within Eungella National Park.