Brown-headed Honeyeater
Melithreptus brevirostris
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyMeliphagidae (Honeyeaters)
- GenusMelithreptus (Dark-headed Honeyeaters)
- SpeciesMelithreptus brevirostris (Brown-headed Honeyeater)
About the Brown-headed Honeyeater
The brown-headed honeyeater (Melithreptus brevirostris) is a species of passerine bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation.
The brown-headed honeyeater was first described by Vigors & Horsfield in 1827. Its species name is derived from the Latin terms brevis 'short', and rostrum 'beak'. Five subspecies have been described. The race magnirostris from Kangaroo Island has a noticeably larger bill.
It is a member of the genus Melithreptus, with several species of similar size and all black-headed, apart from this species, in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. Molecular markers show the brown-headed honeyeater is most closely related to the black-chinned honeyeater, with the strong-billed honeyeater an earlier offshoot between 6.7 and 3.4 million years ago.
A small honeyeater ranging from 13 to 15 cm (5.2–6 in) in length, it is olive-brown above and buff below, with a brown head, nape and throat, a cream or orange patch of bare skin over the eye, and a dull white crescent-shaped patch on the nape. The legs and feet are orange. It makes a scratchy chwik... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Flinders Chase
White-naped Honeyeater
Melithreptus lunatus
Red Wattlebird
Anthochaera carunculata
New Holland Honeyeater
Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
Crescent Honeyeater
Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus
White-eared Honeyeater
Nesoptilotis leucotis
Tawny-crowned Honeyeater
Gliciphila melanops
Purple-gaped Honeyeater
Lichenostomus cratitius
Eastern Spinebill
Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
Noisy Miner
Manorina melanocephala
Little Wattlebird
Anthochaera chrysoptera
White-fronted Chat
Epthianura albifrons
Superb Fairywren
Malurus cyaneus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Flinders Chase | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Brown-headed Honeyeater in Flinders Chase?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-headed Honeyeater sighting in Flinders Chase, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Brown-headed Honeyeater in Flinders Chase?
July has the highest sighting rate for Brown-headed Honeyeater in Flinders Chase in our monthly data.