Scrub Honeyeater Microptilotis albonotatus Scientific name definitions

17–19 cm; male 27–34 g, female 20–29 g. Has top and side of head and neck and entire upperbody greyish-olive, with blackish lores, white lower ear-coverts forming small rounded ear-patch, and bright yellow or orange-yellow gape merging with narrow and contrastingly paler (pale yellow or cream) rictal streak (which does not meet pale ear-patch); upperwing-coverts and alula dark brown with yellowish-olive fringes, remiges dark brown with yellowish-olive outer edges and pale yellowish-buff inner edges; tail feathers dark brown with yellowish-olive outer edges; rather uniform light olive-grey below, pale yellow tinge or diffuse streaking on breast and belly; underwing-coverts olive-yellowish or buff; iris grey to grey-brown or dark brown; bill black to brownish-black (descriptions as greyish-brown may represent juvenile character); legs grey to grey-brown or dark olive-grey. Differs from similar M. montanus mainly in brighter green crown and upperparts, yellowish or creamy (not white) rictal streak, yellowish or yellowish-olive fringes and edges on upperwing and tail, plainer underparts, and richer yellow gape. Sexes alike in plumage, male on average larger than female. Juvenile differs from adult in having yellow tinge in ear-patch, dark olive-brown upperparts, and irregular darker olive-brown band across breast.

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Mainly hills and lower mountains, less often lowlands, of Vogelkop, Weyland, Nassau and Oranje Mts, Huon Peninsula, and SC & SE New Guinea.

Typically in disturbed habitats, including secondary growth and forest edge, forest remnants along creeks, marginal primary forest, mid-montane scrub, anthropogenic grasslands, plantations, and town and village gardens; apparently absent from interior of forest. Mainly foothills and lower mountains, less often in lowlands; sea-level to c. 1950 m, with possible records at 2900 m (between Laiagam and Kanep).

Resident at Crater Mt, in Tabubil region and around Brown R, and probably at Moroka; probably resident throughout range.

Diet includes insects, nectar and some fruit. Usually forages in understorey (e.g. frequently up to 5 m above ground), but visits flowering and fruiting trees. Forages by gleaning, including hover-gleaning; seen to forage at flowers of Rhus taitensis (Anacardiaceae), and to hover at papayas (Carica) partly eaten by fruit-bats (Pteropodidae) to feed on pulp. Usually singly or in twos (probably pairs); seen to feed in flowering tree with other species, including three species of Myzomela.

Song of 10–12 rapidly uttered thin notes (c. 5 per second), often rising in pitch and then becoming lower towards end; described also as slow trilling “whee”. Call a brief, fairly loud and musical cheery “chip, tup, chop” or “chirrup” with sucked-in quality, similar to that of several congeners (but “chop” said to be more musical), and similar loud disyllabic note; call described as loud, rather sharply whistled “kit” or “kit kit” may refer to one of these calls.

Recorded in dry season and middle of wet season: eggs in early Mar and Sept, nestlings late Jul, late Sept and late Oct, and fledglings late Aug, Sept, Feb and May. Nest a neat cup of fine fibres, moss, grasses, bark and much animal silk, lined with thread-like woody fibres, plant down and fluffy cotton-like seed material, external diameter c. 8 cm, depth 6·4–8 cm, internal diameter 5–7 cm, depth c. 3·5 cm, suspended 1–5 m (sometimes higher, to 11 m) above ground from horizontal fork in small tree, in shrub or in bamboo thicket. Clutch 1–2 eggs; no information on incubation and nestling periods; chicks fed by both parents.

Not globally threatened. Fairly common to abundant at higher altitudes, and uncommon in lowlands; scarce on Sogeri Plateau. A species of disturbed habitats, has successfully invaded highland areas where there has been extensive destruction of original forest habitat; appears to have invaded Wau Valley since 1932.