Fuscous Honeyeater

1. Small yellow neck-plume below the ear coverts

2. Adults have an all-black bill; juveniles show yellow at the bill base and a yellow eye-ring

3. Active, noisy foraging with frequent “chip” calls

Fuscous Honeyeaters are highly adaptable, feeding on insects, nectar, honeydew, and lerp. Their diet shifts with the seasons-more nectar in summer, more insects and lerp in winter. They are semi-colonial, breeding in loose groups but forming monogamous pairs. The breeding season for the Fuscous Honeyeater typically runs from late August to late January, though nesting can begin as early as July in some areas. Nests are cup-shaped and placed in the outer foliage of eucalypts. Both parents feed the young, and the species is known for its social, sometimes aggressive, interactions with other birds. The Fuscous Honeyeater is an important pollinator in Australia’s eucalypt forests.

Look for Fuscous Honeyeaters in dry, open eucalypt woodlands and forests, especially where box, ironbark, or bloodwood trees are common. They are often seen in the canopy, foraging in groups. In winter, they may move to lower elevations or coastal woodlands and heathlands, sometimes visiting gardens and roadside vegetation.