Black-chinned Honeyeater Melithreptus gularis Scientific name definitions

Taxonomic note: Lump. This account is a combination of multiple species accounts originally published in HBW Alive. That content has been combined and labeled here at the subspecies level. Moving forward we will create a more unified account for this parent taxon. Please consider contributing your expertise to update this account.

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Golden-backed)

14–16·5 cm; male 15–20 g and female 16·1–20·2 g. Adult is patterned like formerly conspecific M. gularis, but upperparts largely golden yellow-olive, with narrow bright yellow band across uppermost mantle and bright yellow rump, underparts off-white, with grey wash across breast and flanks, smaller black chin, broader white moustachial stripe and bare skin above eye pale jade-green to straw-yellow, while iris (perhaps always?) lacks reddish tinge. Juvenile plumage poorly known, but appears generally very similar to same-age M. gularis except has paler brown crown (fading to buff with wear), smaller chin patch, and paler and browner flight-feathers, with yellow olive outer fringes to primaries, secondaries and rectrices.

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Black-chinned)

14–16·5 cm; 18·5–23·2 g, male 20·5–22·5 g, one female 19 g. Adult has neat black cap covering most of top and sides of head and neck, arc of bare bright blue skin over top of eye, and conspicuous white crescent extending from rear edge of blue orbital arc across nape; malar area and sides of throat white, black chin grading to grey-brown on centre of throat; upperparts largely olive-green, narrow olive-buff band on uppermost mantle, yellow-olive rump and uppertail-coverts; uppertail and upperwing largely brown, grey tinge on secondary-coverts; breast pale brownish grey, grading to off-white on belly, vent and undertail-coverts, with grey-buff flanks; undertail grey-brown, underwing creamy buff with brown trailing edge and tip; iris brown, sometimes reddish brown; bill and gape grey-black to black; legs orange-rufous. Sexes alike in plumage, male slightly larger than female. Juvenile is like adult but duller and browner overall, cap brown, bare skin above eye dull blue, band on nape off-white, upperparts olive-brown, grading to olive-green on lower rump and uppertail-coverts, chin blackish, grading to brown on centre of throat and brownish grey on breast, and to white from belly to undertail-coverts, iris dark brown, bill initially wholly orange but gradually develops darker patches, maxilla quickly becomes orange-brown, legs orange; immature like adult, sometimes a few brown juvenile feathers retained on crown, nape and rump, and bill takes c. 12 months to become completely black.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Golden-backed)

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Black-chinned)

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Golden-backed)

W & N Western Australia E to NW & N Queensland (around S & E Gulf of Carpentaria and S Cape York Peninsula), thence S to extreme NE South Australia and NC New South Wales.

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Black-chinned)

E Queensland (from S of Cape York Peninsula) S to N foothills of Great Divide in N & NC Victoria; SE South Australia (Fleurieu Peninsula and S Mt Lofty Ranges).

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Golden-backed)

Found in tall open woodlands of stringybark eucalypts (Eucalyptus) or bloodwoods (Corymbia), or riparian associations dominated by paperbarks (Melaleuca), eucalypts or acacias, or combinations of these. In arid and semi-arid regions, often in riparian woodlands dominated by river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) or coolibah (E. coolabah), sometimes with dense thickets of paperbarks and Callistemon, or shrubby understorey of Acacia.

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Black-chinned)

Mainly open eucalypt forests and woodlands. In E & S Australia, mainly in forests and woodlands dominated by box and ironbark eucalypts, e.g. mugga ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), grey ironbark (E. paniculata), grey box (E. moluccana), white box (E. albens); less often in other mixed open eucalypt forests or woodlands of smooth-barked gums, stringybarks, ironbarks and tea-trees (Leptospermum), or such associations interspersed with clumps of other trees, such as Banksia, Callitris or Casuarina. Occasionally in gardens and locally (e.g. Victoria) in open dry forest, up to 25 m tall, dominated by ironbarks, red gums and bloodwoods, and a patchy or continuous understorey comprising Acacia and Melaleuca nodosa, but a sparse or non-existent ground cover.

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Golden-backed)

Mainly resident, but sometimes considered nomadic (e.g. in Kimberley Division, Western Australia, and parts of Northern Territory), with changes in numbers or apparent movements reported at many sites where increases in numbers often associated with flowering of trees. However, more regular W–E movements are suspected in Northern Territory. Occasionally undertakes longer movements, even reaching 100s of km beyond normal range, with vagrants recorded in Cooper Creek Drainage Basin (SW Queensland) and in NE South Australia (e.g. L Eyre).

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Black-chinned)

Mainly resident; sometimes considered nomadic, and changes in numbers or apparent movements reported at many sites where considered resident, but many such movements probably local. Increases in numbers often associated with flowering of trees. Occasionally undertakes longer movements, hundreds of kilometres beyond normal range.

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Golden-backed)

Not well studied; only detailed information from Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory. Mainly nectar but presumably also invertebrates (mostly insects); nectar of at least 11 different species, mainly Eucalyptus spp. identified in diet. Forages mostly in trees, occasionally in understorey shrubs, saplings or creepers; in canopy among outermost flowers, foliage and twigs, occasionally on branches and trunks; very occasionally forages on ground. Probes flowers for nectar; if flower long and tubular, may steal nectar by piercing base of flower before probing. Obtains insects by gleaning foliage or flowers, or from beneath bark of trees, sometimes by pulling at bark; occasionally takes flying insects in air by sallying. Often hangs upside-down to reach flowers. Usually in pairs or in small groups; occasionally forages with other species of honeyeater, particularly in flowering trees.

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Black-chinned)

Mainly nectar and invertebrates (mostly insects, but also spiders); sometimes honeydew (occasionally reliant on it in summer), and very occasionally seeds; in one study, ratio of nectar to insects 18:82%. Forages mostly in trees (mainly Eucalyptus), occasionally in understorey shrubs (e.g. Astroloma), saplings or creepers; in canopy among outermost flowers, foliage (55–62% of observations in three studies) and twigs, occasionally on branches and trunks 2 m to > 10 m above ground (but up to 38–39% of foraging manoeuvres in one study); very occasionally forages on ground. Probes flowers for nectar; if flower long and tubular, may steal nectar by piercing base of flower before probing. Obtains insects by gleaning foliage or flowers, or from beneath bark of trees, sometimes by pulling at bark; occasionally takes flying insects in air by sallying. Often hangs upside-down to reach flowers. Usually in pairs or in small groups of up to c. 12 individuals; occasionally forages with other species of honeyeater, particularly in flowering trees; once seen in mixed-species feeding flock of 40–45 honeyeaters of six genera. In areas of overlap with Ptilotula fusca, the present species spends greater proportion of effort probing between leaves that were bound together than did P. fusca, suggesting that in New South Wales M. gularis is more specialized in its foraging and its food supply is more uncommon.

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Golden-backed)

Song is structurally similar to that of M. gularis, but sounds much less ringing and “duller”, with sonogram analysis revealing that note shapes are more variable and overall sound is lower-pitched. No other differences in vocalizations known at present, but a more complete and robust analysis of all types of call is impossible.

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Black-chinned)

Noisy, calling often, loudly and throughout year, more so when breeding; voice clear and ringing. Song rich, complex and varying, described as strong, shrill piccolo notes, repeated 2–4 times, sometimes for 10–15 minutes; pair-members often sing in reply to one another. Both sexes also give loud, harsh, grating, croaking or rollicking “chee-chee”, “creep-creep-creep” and “chip-chip-chip, chur-chur-chur-chur”, sometimes in flight; and loud, single or double, whistling or bell-like note. Other calls include single harsh note; cheeps and chirrups when gathering nest material; soft, deep, guttural notes; warbling; and undescribed distress call.

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Golden-backed)

Not well known but mainly Jan–Aug, occasionally to early Oct (one clutch late Mar, nestling mid Jun). Often breeds co-operatively, but also solitarily. Nesting material collected by both sexes, and nest sometimes built by more than two individuals; nest cup-shaped, usually of fibrous bark woven together with hair, wool or fur, and occasionally spider webs, cocoons or grass, usually lined with wool, hair or fur; usually suspended in crown of tall tree (mainly Eucalyptus), less often in shrub, usually in uppermost branches, well concealed by foliage. Clutch usually 2–3 eggs, one record of single-egg clutch; no information on incubation and nestling periods; nestlings and fledglings fed by both parents and by any auxiliaries present.

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Black-chinned)

Recorded in all months except May but mainly austral spring, with estimated start of clutches Jan–Feb and Aug–Sept in NE (where formerly conspecific M. laetior nests in May) and eggs Jun–Dec in New South Wales. Often breeds co-operatively, but also solitarily. Nesting material collected by both sexes, and nest sometimes built by more than two individuals; nest cup-shaped, usually of fibrous bark woven together with hair, wool or fur, and occasionally spider webs, cocoons or grass, usually lined with wool, hair or fur, external diameter 7 cm, depth 7·6 cm, internal diameter 5·1 cm, depth 5·3 cm; usually suspended in crown of tall tree (mainly Eucalyptus), less often in shrub, usually in uppermost branches, well concealed by foliage, 1–25 m (mean 8·4 m) above ground. Clutch usually 2–3 eggs; no information on incubation and nestling periods; nestlings and fledglings fed by both parents and by any auxiliaries present. Nests parasitized by Pallid Cuckoo (Heteroscenes pallidus).

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Golden-backed)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Rather uncommon. Total population unknown, but recorded densities of up to 0·01–1·03 birds/ha (based on fieldwork in Northern Territory and Queensland) and species is estimated to be stable across very large range (c. 4,650,000 km²).

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Black-chinned)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Rather uncommon but generally widespread. No estimates of total population, but recorded densities of up to 0·1–0·55 birds/ha and numbers are believed to be stable across most of very large range (c. 2,720,000 km²), although it has been claimed, without evidence, that species is declining in New South Wales, specifically around Sydney.