Graceful Honeyeater
Meliphaga gracilis
NativeStatus
CommonRarity
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Species Description
The Graceful Honeyeater (*Microptilotis gracilis*) is a small, olive-gray bird native to northeastern Australia’s Cape York Peninsula, southern New Guinea, and the Aru Islands. It is a common resident of tropical forests and mangroves, blending well into the lush greenery of its habitat. Birdwatchers often encounter this species in the mid-canopy, where its subtle plumage and unique facial markings set it apart from similar honeyeaters.
Fun Facts
Graceful Honeyeaters produce a variety of calls, including a high-pitched “wip-wip-wip” series.
1. Circular pale yellow spot on ear-coverts
2. Blue-gray eye colour
3. Thin, fine bill with short orange-yellow gape
These honeyeaters feed on nectar, fruit, and insects, actively foraging through all layers of vegetation and often probing flowers or gleaning insects from foliage and branches. Breeding occurs mainly from September to February. Nests are neat, moss-covered cups suspended in outer foliage, usually 0.75–3 meters above the ground, though sometimes much higher. Females lay clutches of two eggs and tend to the nest.
Graceful Honeyeaters inhabit rainforest edges, vine scrubs, and adjacent eucalypt and melaleuca woodlands throughout Cape York Peninsula and southern New Guinea. They are also found in mangroves, forested foothills, gardens, and orchards, usually below 500 meters elevation. Listen for their sharp “chip” or melodious “plit” calls as they forage in the mid-canopy, typically between 2 and 18 meters above ground.
Physical Attributes
Height
16 cm
Size Relative to Other Birds25%
Habitat
No habitat information available
Top Locations
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