Common. Migratory. Large flocks move northward in the fall, following the Great Divide and coast, winter in northern NSW and south-eastern Qld, then return south in spring.
Habitat
Forests, woodlands, mangroves, usually in groups.
Voice
Cheery, ringing, calls, 'whit, whit, whit' and 'chwikup, chwikup'. Also brisk, rollicking songs, 'whit-chiwit-chiwickup, 'whit-chiwit-chiwickup, 'whit-chiwickup-chiwickup', with variations. In flocks, a soft 'clip, clip' is often uttered. A peevish, kree' is uttered in contact.
Nest
Neat, cup-shaped, composed of fiber and moss, lined with fine dry grass, suspended amid the foliage of a bush or tree, usually with a meter or two of the ground.
Eggs (Guide)
2 or 3, rarely 4; light pink, blotched with browns and reds, more at the larger end; oval; about 21 x 14 mm. Incubation: about 14 days; by female.
Young
Fledge in about 13 days.
Subspecies
Genus often subsumed in Meliphaga. Forms a distinctive species group with Black-throated Honeyeater (Caligavis subfrenata), Obscure Honeyeater (Caligavis obscura), Bridled Honeyeater (Bolemoreus frenatus) and Eungella Honeyeater (Bolemoreus hindwoodi), and all sometimes combined in a separate genus, Caligavis. Poorly differentiated subspecies barroni possibly not worthy of recognition. Further studies is required.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
chrysops (Latham, 1801) - North-eastern Queensland (Dawson-Mackenzie Basin) south, inland to western slopes of Great Divide (scattered records west of this range), to Victoria and south-eastern South Australia.
barroni (Mathews, 1912) - Montane north-eastern Queensland from Shiptons Flat-Mt Amos-Mt Finnigan (near Cooktown) south, including Atherton and Windsor-Carbine Tablelands, to Clarke-Connors Ranges, in north-eastern Australia.
samueli (Mathews, 1912) - Southern Flinders Ranges, Mt Lofty Ranges and Fleurieu Peninsula, in south-eastern South Australia.
Similar Species
Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), Varied Honeyeater (Gavicalis versicolor) and Mangrove Honeyeater (Gavicalis fasciogularis) which lack the black beneath their yellow facial streaks and with Bridled Honeyeater (Bolemoreus frenatus) which is larger and the basal third of the bill is yellow.
References
See References.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet