White-plumed Honeyeater

1. White neck-plume running from throat to nape

2. Yellow face, brightest around the eye

3. Juveniles have a duller appearance and a paler, pinkish or yellowish bill base

White-plumed Honeyeaters are highly social, often seen in small groups outside the breeding season, and are active foragers, darting rapidly between trees and shrubs. Their diet includes nectar, insects, manna, honeydew, lerps, and occasionally fruit and seeds. Females build cup-shaped nests from grass and spider webs, usually hidden in the outer foliage of trees. Breeding can occur at any time of year, with two to three clutches commonly produced annually. Both parents feed the chicks, and sometimes helpers assist at the nest. These honeyeaters are adaptable and often thrive in urban environments.

White-plumed Honeyeaters are widespread across mainland Australia, thriving in open forests, woodlands, and especially along watercourses lined with river red gums and other eucalypts. They are absent from Tasmania and the most arid deserts but can persist in drier regions where water and trees are present. These birds are commonly found in remt bushland, farmland with scattered trees, and urban parks and gardens, especially near water. They forage at all levels, from the ground to the canopy, but are often seen in the crowns of trees.