White-lined Honeyeater

1. Thin white moustachial stripe extending from the bill corner below the eye.

2. Pale blue-gray or cream eyes and a yellow gape.

3. Loud, melodious whistles, often described as “too-ep, too-in” or “tue-ee-ee, tu-i-in.”

White-lined Honeyeaters feed on insects, spiders, nectar, fruits, and seeds, foraging rapidly among foliage and probing crevices in rocks. Their breeding season is mainly from October to January. Nests are neat, cup-shaped structures built from fine branches, vines, and grass, often reinforced with spider webs and suspended from the outer branches of shrubs or small trees. Juveniles are cared for by both parents.

This species is restricted to the sandstone country of western Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, including areas such as Kakadu National Park and Katherine Gorge. It prefers vegetated gorges, gullies, and sheltered monsoon rainforest patches-especially those that remain moist year-round. The best time to observe them is in the early morning as they actively move through the upper branches of dense vegetation.