Blue-faced Honeyeater Entomyzon cyanotis Scientific name definitions

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Blue-faced Honeyeater (White-quilled)

26–32·3 cm; male 110·5–135 g, female 94·1–118·8 g. Distinctive, large, sturdy and full-chested honeyeater with strong, decurved bill , broad rounded wings and moderately long tail. Adult is similar in size and plumage to formerly conspecific E. cyanotis, but underwing patch white (not pinkish) and larger, conspicuous on both upperwing and underwing in flight, while facial skin more yellowish or greenish, and iris orange-yellow. No information concerning juvenile plumage, but immature reported to differ from adult as in E. cyanotis.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Blue-faced)

26–32·3 cm; male 80–130 g, female 83·5–114·7 g. Distinctive, large, sturdy and full-chested honeyeater with strong, decurved bill, broad rounded wings and moderately long tail. Nominate race has black head, neck and bib, marked with large bright blue bare patch around eye (darker blue on lower rear quarter), narrow white crescent across nape; white malar stripe continues and broadens along sides of neck to meet white underparts, and separates black of sides of head and neck from bib (which grades from black on chin to grey-black on upper breast); otherwise, mostly golden olive-green above , uppertail broadly tipped white when fresh (except in centre); upperwing with slightly paler outer webs on inner primaries and bases of outer primaries (diffuse paler panel on folded wing), brown tips on outer primaries (visible on folded wing), brown inner webs of secondaries and inner primaries (visible only in flight), diffuse brown tips on greater primary-coverts, small dark patch at bend of folded wing; white below, undertail grey with broad white tip; underwing largely grey (darkest on coverts), basal primaries pink-buff forming rounded patch; iris cream; bill black, pale blue base; legs dark grey. Sexes alike in plumage, male larger than female. Juvenile is similar to adult but duller, with dark areas of head, neck and breast grey (not black), upperparts with olive-brown tinge, bill brown with cream tip and yellow base and gape, facial skin also yellow (sometimes a small area of blue in front of eye), iris grey-brown to creamy brown, and legs dark blue-grey; immature like adult, but up to six months old facial skin is mostly yellow with varying areas of green or greenish yellow, then becoming mostly greenish, and gradually obtaining adult coloration at c. 16 months old. Race <em>griseigularis</em> is significantly smaller than nominate but similar in plumage, though pink-buff patch on underwing slightly larger.

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Blue-faced Honeyeater (White-quilled)

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Blue-faced)

Blue-faced Honeyeater (White-quilled)

N Western Australia (Kimberley Division) E across Top End of Northern Territory (including Melville I) to extreme NW Queensland (Nicholson–Leichhardt Rivers, on S Gulf of Carpentaria).

Blue-faced Honeyeater (White-quilled)

Mostly open forests and woodlands, particularly riparian associations. Mainly dry, open sclerophyll woodlands or forests, including open savanna woodland, typically dominated by Eucalyptus (sometimes mixed with Callitris or Casuarina, but rarely in pure stands of these), with grassy understorey or with secondary layer of smaller trees and a sclerophyllous understorey ranging from sparse to dense and heathy, and with varying grassy ground layer; also commonly in open paperbark (Melaleuca) woodland with grassy understorey, and often in riparian woodlands and forests such as riverine forests of river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), sometimes mixed with coolibah (Eucalyptus coolabah), or of weeping paperbark (Melaleuca leucadendra). Also commonly in mixed woodland dominated by broadleaf species such as Excoecaria parvifolia and Bauhinia. Regularly in modified habitats, including partly cleared agricultural land or orchards, and commonly in parks, gardens and golf courses of some cities and towns. Sometimes in mixed stands or woodlands of Pandanus and eucalypts or grevilleas, or thickets of Pandanus, or at edges of patches of monsoon rainforest; also sometimes in mangroves, coastal heathlands, low open coastal Banksia forest and wet sclerophyll forest. Sea-level to 850 m.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Blue-faced)

Mostly open forests and woodlands, particularly riparian associations. Mainly dry, open sclerophyll woodlands or forests, including open savanna woodland, typically dominated by Eucalyptus (sometimes mixed with Callitris or Casuarina, but rarely in pure stands of these), with grassy understorey or with secondary layer of smaller trees and a sclerophyllous understorey ranging from sparse to dense and heathy, and with varying grassy ground layer; also commonly in open paperbark (Melaleuca) woodland with grassy understorey, and often in riparian woodlands and forests such as riverine forests of river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), sometimes mixed with coolibah (Eucalyptus coolabah), or of weeping paperbark (Melaleuca leucadendra). Also commonly in mixed woodland dominated by broadleaf species such as Excoecaria parvifolia and Bauhinia. Regularly in modified habitats, including partly cleared agricultural land or orchards, and commonly in parks, gardens and golf courses of some cities and towns. Sometimes in mangroves, coastal heathlands, low open coastal Banksia forest and wet sclerophyll forest; in New Guinea, also in tall scrub. Sea-level to 850 m, rarely to 1000 m.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (White-quilled)

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Blue-faced)

Probably resident in New Guinea, where described as locally nomadic. Appears to be largely resident throughout Australian range, especially in N; some local movements, possibly more extensive S of Tropic of Capricorn. No evidence for suggestion that species is migratory. Numbers at specific locations often fluctuate, and only a visitor at some sites, indicating some movement; seasonal occurrence at a few sites and apparent limited movement of small numbers reported from W slopes of Great Divide in S Queensland–N New South Wales, possibly E & NE towards coast. Vagrant or occasional at various sites at edge of normal range, and sometimes well beyond it.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (White-quilled)

Mainly arthropods (mostly insects, some spiders) and nectar (often of eucalypts), but also fruit (from native and exotic plants). Forages at flowers (predominantly of Eucalyptus, Melaleuca or Grevillea), on trunks and branches of trees, in foliage (including dead leaves) of trees and shrubs, and aerially; occasionally on ground . Often in palms; searches Pandanus spiralis for arthropods, choosing these trees over others in area. Probes flowers for nectar; catches arthropods by gleaning and probing, also by sallying, mostly sally-hovering and sally-striking in air, and by flutter-chasing, in which bird moves rapidly through vegetation in pursuit of disturbed prey. Hangs and clambers about in variety of positions. Active, noisy, gregarious and aggressive, though sometimes described as wary. Usually in small parties (of up to seven individuals), less often singly or in twos (possibly pairs). Often associates loosely with other species; also chases other species foraging in same tree or nearby.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Blue-faced)

Mainly arthropods (mostly insects, some spiders) and nectar (often of eucalypts), but also fruit (from native and exotic plants). Known to take small lizards at times. Forages at flowers , on trunks and branches of trees, in foliage (including dead leaves) of trees and shrubs, and aerially; occasionally on ground. Probes flowers for nectar; catches arthropods by gleaning and probing, also by sallying, mostly sally-hovering and sally-striking in air, and by flutter-chasing, in which bird moves rapidly through vegetation in pursuit of disturbed prey. Hangs and clambers about in variety of positions. Sometimes forages around houses or other structures, and from rubbish bins; seen to probe under eaves and from pipes. Active, noisy, gregarious and aggressive, though sometimes described as wary. Usually in small parties (of up to seven individuals), less often singly or in twos (possibly pairs); sometimes in larger groups of up to 30 or so. Often associates loosely with other species in mixed-species flocks, and seen to forage with Philemon citreogularis; also chases other species foraging in same tree or nearby.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (White-quilled)

No differences known between the vocalizations of this species and E. cyanotis, but documentation is not good.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Blue-faced)

Often noisy; one of first birds to call in morning, and calls throughout day, and often in flight. Main call a repeated, querulous piping “woik” or “queet”, each note rising at end; also as loud “weet! weet! weet!” at daybreak. Other calls include harsh squeaks, mewing or scolding; a “hwit hwit” call; and soft chirping during feeding of mate or nestlings.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (White-quilled)

Poorly known in comparison to E. cyanotis, although most aspects of breeding biology are presumably very similar. Breeds Apr–Dec; usually two broods. Normally solitary; no records of communal breeding (see E. cyanotis). Both adults bring nesting material, nest a neat rounded cup of strips of bark and, less often, leaves, sticks and cocoons, lined with fine bark, grasses, plant down and wool; material from old nests reused or material stolen from nest of other species, or nest of other taken over; nest supported by sides or base, rarely suspended by rim from fork of branch, usually wedged into fork (especially where bark debris has collected), or built on on palm fronds near main stem; often nests in or on old domed stick nest of Australasian babblers (Pomatostomus), entrance to which often enlarged and own nest built inside, or builds nest in depression on top or side of babbler nest. Regularly usurps or interferes with the nests of Grey-crowned Babblers (Pomatostomus temporalis), although the frequency of such behaviour appears to vary seasonally, with interference occurring most frequently during the nestbuilding and incubation stages, and much less frequently in the nestling stage, and with the greatest impacts on success of the babblers during the first two periods, when their eggs would regularly disappear. Clutch two eggs, rarely three; incubation and nestling periods unknown; both parents feed fledglings, which remain with adults for at least several weeks.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Blue-faced)

Few records from New Guinea, in Feb and Jun, and probably breeds in wet season and early dry season; in Australia recorded in all months, mainly winter/spring, with most records of eggs, nestlings or fledglings Sept–Nov, and possibly earlier in N Australia (middle to late dry season) than in S; usually two broods. Normally solitary; one observation of possible group nesting and a few records of communal breeding, with up to four attendants. Both adults bring nesting material , nest a neat rounded cup of strips of bark and, less often, leaves, sticks and cocoons, lined with fine bark, grasses, plant down and wool, average external diameter 15·2 cm, depth 17·8 cm, internal diameter 10·2 cm, depth 6·4 cm; sometimes builds large pendulous bark nest (one 54 cm long); material from old nests reused or material stolen from nest of other species, or nest of other taken over; nest supported by sides or base, rarely suspended by rim from fork of branch, usually wedged into fork (especially where bark debris has collected), or built on top of grass-tree (Xanthorrhoea) or palm, on palm fronds near main stem, or occasionally on top of stump or post or in hollow spout, site 1·5–15 m (average 6·9 m) above ground; often nests in or on old domed stick nest of Australasian babblers (Pomatostomus), entrance to which often enlarged and own nest built inside, or builds nest in depression on top or side of babbler nest; occasionally builds on old nest of other species, including Philemon corniculatus, P. argenticeps and P. citreogularis, Manorina melanocephala, Anthochaera carunculata, and Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca). Clutch two eggs, rarely three (records of 4–7 eggs in nests thought to involve more than one female); incubation by female only, period 16–17 days; chicks fed by both adults and by any helpers present, nestling period (in captivity, for two young) 23 days and 24 days; both parents and any helpers feed fledglings, which remain with adults for at least several weeks, but fledglings also seen to forage independently when only one day out of nest. Nests parasitized by Eastern Koel (Eudynamys orientalis) and Pallid Cuckoo (Heteroscenes pallidus). Maximum longevity at least eight years.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (White-quilled)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Common in most of large range (estimated at 1,200,000 km²) and population believed to be stable. No estimates of total population, but recorded densities of 0·02–0·67 birds/ha in Northern Territory.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Blue-faced)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Common in most of large range (estimated at 3,310,000 km²) and population believed to be stable. No estimates of total population, but recorded density of 0·12 birds/ha in SE Queensland. Populations around Logan Reserve, in SE Queensland, said to have declined in mid 1980s but increased again by early 1990s. However, further N, on the Cape York Peninsula, the species is estimated to have declined in numbers by c. 20% between the end of the 20th century and c. 10 years later. At least formerly considered a pest in orchards. Early claim of this species’ presence in Aru Is not supported by contemporary sources.