New Holland Honeyeater
Encyclopedia
The New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) is a honeyeater
species found throughout southern Australia
. It was among the first birds to be scientifically described in Australia, and was initially named Certhia novaehollandiae (Latham
1781, 1790; for a general discussion, see Calaby 1999). It is around eighteen centimetres long and is mainly black, with a white iris, white facial tufts and yellow margins on its wing and tail feathers. It is a very active bird and rarely sits long enough to give an extended view. When danger approaches a New Holland Honeyeater, such as a bird of prey, a group of Honeyeaters will form together and give a warning call. Sexes are similar in looks with the exception that females are, on average, slightly smaller. Young Honeyeaters (<1 year old) have similar colouring but have grey eyes and a yellow gape
and "whiskers" near the nares.
The breeding behaviour of the New Holland Honeyeater has been relatively well documented. In southern and eastern Australia, breeding commonly occurs during autumn and spring, although certain coastal populations may breed at any time of the year given suitable conditions including sufficient food and absence of adverse weather. In Western Australia, New Holland Honeyeaters have been observed to breed once annually from July to November, when nectar is abundant (McFarland, 1985). They appear to be a socially monogamous bird with no sign of co-operative breeding, but this observation is yet to be examined genetically (McFarland, 1985). In breeding territories, males spend a large proportion of their time defending the nest and food resources, while the females invest a large proportion of their time in reproductive labour including nest construction, incubation, and a majority of the nestling care (McFarland, 1985; Clarke and Clarke, 1999). However, these roles are not completely strict (Lambert and Oorebeek, observation). It is also common for females to utilise food resources that are in close proximity to the nest, while males venture further afield, toward the outskirts of the territory. They primarily feed on nectar, although a large part of their diet may also consist of insects (Clarke and Clarke, 1999; Kleindorfer et al., 2006).
New Holland Honeyeaters obtain most of their carbohydrate requirements from the nectar of flower
s. Subsequently, they are key pollinators of many flowering plant species, many of which are endemic to Australia such as Banksia
, Hakea
, Xanthorrhoea
(Yacka), and Acacia
. New Holland Honeyeaters may also consume honeydew, a sugary secretion produced by members of the family Psyllidae. Despite feeding primarily on nectar, New Holland Honeyeaters are not strictly nectarivorous. Nectar does not contain protein so New Holland Honeyeaters must supplement their diet with invertebrates such as spiders and crickets that are rich in protein. They sometimes feed alone but usually gather in large groups.
There are currently five described subspecies of Phylidonyris novaehollandiae;
Honeyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
species found throughout southern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was among the first birds to be scientifically described in Australia, and was initially named Certhia novaehollandiae (Latham
John Latham (ornithologist)
John Latham was an English physician, naturalist and author. He was born at Eltham in Kent, and was the eldest son of John Latham, a surgeon there, and his mother was a descendant of the Sothebys, in Yorkshire....
1781, 1790; for a general discussion, see Calaby 1999). It is around eighteen centimetres long and is mainly black, with a white iris, white facial tufts and yellow margins on its wing and tail feathers. It is a very active bird and rarely sits long enough to give an extended view. When danger approaches a New Holland Honeyeater, such as a bird of prey, a group of Honeyeaters will form together and give a warning call. Sexes are similar in looks with the exception that females are, on average, slightly smaller. Young Honeyeaters (<1 year old) have similar colouring but have grey eyes and a yellow gape
Gape
In bird anatomy, the gape is the interior of the open mouth of a bird and the gape flange is the region where the two mandibles join together, at the base of the beak...
and "whiskers" near the nares.
The breeding behaviour of the New Holland Honeyeater has been relatively well documented. In southern and eastern Australia, breeding commonly occurs during autumn and spring, although certain coastal populations may breed at any time of the year given suitable conditions including sufficient food and absence of adverse weather. In Western Australia, New Holland Honeyeaters have been observed to breed once annually from July to November, when nectar is abundant (McFarland, 1985). They appear to be a socially monogamous bird with no sign of co-operative breeding, but this observation is yet to be examined genetically (McFarland, 1985). In breeding territories, males spend a large proportion of their time defending the nest and food resources, while the females invest a large proportion of their time in reproductive labour including nest construction, incubation, and a majority of the nestling care (McFarland, 1985; Clarke and Clarke, 1999). However, these roles are not completely strict (Lambert and Oorebeek, observation). It is also common for females to utilise food resources that are in close proximity to the nest, while males venture further afield, toward the outskirts of the territory. They primarily feed on nectar, although a large part of their diet may also consist of insects (Clarke and Clarke, 1999; Kleindorfer et al., 2006).
New Holland Honeyeaters obtain most of their carbohydrate requirements from the nectar of flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s. Subsequently, they are key pollinators of many flowering plant species, many of which are endemic to Australia such as Banksia
Banksia
Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...
, Hakea
Hakea
Hakea is a genus of 149 species of shrubs and small trees in the Proteaceae, native to Australia. They are found throughout the country, with the highest species diversity being found in the south west of Western Australia....
, Xanthorrhoea
Xanthorrhoea
Xanthorrhoea is a genus of flowering plants native to Australia and a member of family Xanthorrhoeaceae, being the only member of subfamily Xanthorrhoeoideae. The Xanthorrhoeaceae are monocots, part of order Asparagales. There are 28 species and five subspecies of Xanthorrhoea.-Description:All are...
(Yacka), and Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
. New Holland Honeyeaters may also consume honeydew, a sugary secretion produced by members of the family Psyllidae. Despite feeding primarily on nectar, New Holland Honeyeaters are not strictly nectarivorous. Nectar does not contain protein so New Holland Honeyeaters must supplement their diet with invertebrates such as spiders and crickets that are rich in protein. They sometimes feed alone but usually gather in large groups.
There are currently five described subspecies of Phylidonyris novaehollandiae;
- P. novaehollandiae novaehollandiae (South-eastern mainland Australia; Latham, 1790)
- P. novaehollandiae canescens (Tasmania; Latham, 1790),
- P. novaehollandiae campbelli (Kangaroo Island, South Australia; Matthews, 1923)
- P. novaehollandiae longirostris (Western Australia; Gould, 1846)
- P. novaehollandiae caudatus (Bass strait islands; Salomonsen, 1966).