Purple-gaped Honeyeater

1. Grey-olive above, buff-yellow below, with a patterned head and black eyestripe.

2. Thin purple line at the gape, with yellow streak below the eye.

3. Entirely black bill and pointed yellow ear coverts.

These birds feed mainly on nectar and insects, especially from flowering mallee eucalypts and banksias, but will also eat seeds, pollen, and honeydew. They forage actively among foliage, sometimes hanging upside down to reach food. Purple-gaped Honeyeaters are usually seen in pairs or small groups and can be quite aggressive toward other honeyeaters when feeding. Breeding occurs mainly in spring and autumn, with the female building a small cup-shaped nest from bark, grass, and spider web, usually hidden in dense shrubs less than three metres above ground. Juveniles have a yellow gape and less distinct facial marking. The Purple-gaped Honeyeater is closely tied to Australia’s unique mallee habitats, which have been heavily cleared for agriculture.

Purple-gaped Honeyeaters occur in disjunct populations across southern Australia, from southwestern Western Australia to southern South Australia, Victoria, and parts of New South Wales. They prefer dense mallee woodlands, heathlands, and shrubby areas, often with broombush or flowering eucalypts. Gathering at water sources to drink and bathe, particularly during hot weather is frequent, making these spots excellent places for birdwatchers to observe them. They can also be seen in protected areas such as Hattah-Kulkyne, Wyperfeld, and Gluepot reserves, and occasionally visit gardens.