Yellow Honeyeater Stomiopera flava Scientific name definitions

c. 18 cm; male 19–30·8 g, female 16–25·4 g. Nominate race mainly olive-yellow above and on side of head, lemon-yellow below; diffuse lemon-yellow patch behind eye (sometimes extending narrowly over eye) and lemon-yellow moustachial stripe, isolating dusky olive-yellow eyestripe, and with narrow olive-yellow submoustachial stripe and lemon-yellow chin and throat; remiges and rectrices have broad lemon-yellow outer edges (folded wing and side of tail brighter yellow than upperparts); undertail dull olive-yellow; under­wing yellow with brownish-grey trailing edge and tip; iris olive-grey to dark brown; bill black, gape black or yellow (possibly varying seasonally); legs brownish-grey at front, brownish-orange at rear. Sexes alike in plumage, male larger. Juvenile is similar to adult but duller, with less obvious facial pattern, plumage also appears softer, and gape also puffy and yellow (at least at first). Race addenda tends to be slightly duller olive above than nominate, and has faint greyish-olive wash on breast and flanks, faint and diffuse darker streaking on flanks.

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.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Open riparian forests and woodlands, particularly around swamps and other wetlands, typically dominated by Eucalyptus and frequently with understorey of paperbarks (Melaleuca) and bottlebrushes (Callistemon); also riparian forests and woodlands dominated by paperbarks and Lophostemon, often with dense understorey of palms. Sometimes in ecotone between forest or woodland and rainforest, or at edges of rainforest patches (but not within extensive rainforest), and in mangroves. Often in agricultural land, including sugar-cane crops, and in parks and gardens in towns and cities. Mainly coastal lowlands, extending into ranges and tablelands, occasionally as high as c. 1100 m.

Resident throughout range; in study of colour-ringed population at Townsville, found to be sedentary and territorial throughout year. Claims of nomadism at some sites appear to refer to local movements to exploit flowering.

Diet includes nectar, fruit and small arthropods (mainly insects, some spiders). Forages mainly in trees and shrubs, among foliage, trunks and branches, at flowers, including mistletoe (Loranthaceae) flowers, and fruit, sometimes in air or on ground. Nectar obtained directly by probing; insects gleaned from foliage and twigs, seized in aerial sally, or caught in sally-hover in front of spider webs. Acrobatic, often hangs upside-down to reach food. At a sugar mill, seen to feed on sugar accumulated along rafters, conveyor belts and beneath storage bins, and to drink molasses from drains. Usually singly, in pairs or in small groups of 3–4 individuals; will congregate at sources of abundant food (e.g. flowering eucalypts, paperbarks or mistletoes), where can associate with other species; once seen in loose mixed-species meliphagid flock with over 75 individuals of ten species.

Recorded in all months, clutches Aug–May and nestlings Sept–May; one pair known to have raised three broods in one year. Occasionally co-operative breeder, with helper at nest. Nest probably built only by female (offspring from previous season once seen to assist), a shallow, often lightly constructed cup of bark with some grass, less often fibrous roots or palm fibres, sometimes bound together (and to nest plant) with spider web and arthropod egg sacs, usually lined with fine grass or bark, sometimes unlined, external diameter 7·5–8·9 cm, depth 5·1–7 cm, internal diameter 5·5–7 cm, depth 3·2–5·1 cm; usually suspended from fork or thin twigs 0·7–7·8 m (mean 4·1 m) above ground, occasionally higher (to 9 m), in leafy shrub or tree, but sometimes supported, reported also in mistletoe, one attached at three points with spider web. Clutch usually 2 eggs, mean 1·92 (clutch of 4 incubated, and almost certainly laid, by two birds); incubation by female, period c. 16 days; roles of sexes in brooding not known, probably by female only, chicks fed by both parents, sometimes by helpers when present, nestling period 12–14 days; both parents feed fledglings. Nests parasitized by Brush (Cacomantis variolosus) and Pallid Cuckoos (Heteroscenes pallidus). From 39 eggs in 20 nests, 0·75 fledged young per nest; of 29 nests, 48·3% successfully fledged at least one young.

Not globally threatened. Fairly common. No estimates of total population; recorded density of 0·02 birds/ha along Lockhart R.