New Holland Honeyeater

SPECIES New Holland Honeyeater
TAXONOMY Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
STATUS Least Concern (Redlist.org); Least Concern (ala.org.au)

Named after ‘New Holland’ because the first Europeans to visit Australia were Dutch and had proclaimed the land as ‘New Holland’. It is also known as the White-eyed Honeyeater and is an Australian native. 

Distribution
There are five described subspecies that reflect distribution and range:

Phylidonyris novaehollandiae

  • P. n. novaehollandiae - most common and found throughout the south-eastern mainland;

  • P. n. canescens -   found in Tasmania;

  • P. n. campbelli -  found on Kangaroo Island;

  • P. n. longirostris  - found in Western Australia; and,

  • P. n. caudatus - found on the Bass Strait Islands.

Habitat
The New Holland Honeyeater is common among various landscapes where native flowering shrubs and trees are found. 

Feeding
Supplementing their diet with protein enriched insects, the NH Honeyeater thrives on the nectar harvested from plant species such as Banksia, Grevillea, Xanthorrhoea, and Acacia. They are key pollinators for many of these flowering species.

Behaviour
Their high carbohydrate diet supplies the energy requirement for behaviours such as busily darting from flower to flower, catching insects, or chasing away the competition. They are seen feeding alone, but normally gather in large groups. They are highly energetic and rarely seen sitting still. They have an unusual trait of congregating in groups to noisily flutter their wings. They also use this ‘mobbing’ technique to chase away larger birds.

Appearance
Ranging in size from 17 to 18.5 centimetres long, the NH Honeyeater is mostly black on the upper side of body, tail, and wings and has a large yellow wing patch and the sides of the tail. The underbody is white with black streaking. They have a white patch on the face, and a thin white whisker at the base of the bill. Females are similar but slightly smaller. Juveniles are more brown in colour and have grey eyes.

They are often mistaken for a similar species, the White-cheeked Honeyeater. However there are two distinguishing features between the species:

  • The New Holland Honeyeater, a.k.a. White-eyed Honeyeater, has a single white patch on the side of the face and a distinctive white iris of the eye; whereas,

  • The White-cheeked Honeyeater has two white patches on the side of the face and black eyes.

As with many honeyeater species, they have long, slender beaks and a tongue which can protrude well beyond the end in order to probe for nectar.

Reproduction
Aside from the Western Australian subspecies, breeding pairs will generally produce two clutches a year if conditions are favourable. Nests will contain 2 to 3 eggs with an incubation of 18 days.

Males will spend most of their time defending the nest and food sources, and will also venture further afield to locate food. The females use their skills in nest construction, incubation, and care of the young, generally staying close by. Both will feed the young.

Different nests are used for the two breeding peaks. In the summer peak, nests are built deep in a bush to protect it from heat and sun. The nest is cup-shaped, made of bark and grasses, and bound together with spider web. It is lined with soft materials. In the winter peak, nests are placed at the top of a bush facing the northern sun to keep it warm.

Threats
Although the New Holland Honeyeater is relatively secure, it is under similar threats as with other native species due to habitat destruction, changing fire patterns, and severe weather. 

Updated 5 May 2021