Purple-gaped Honeyeater (Lichenostomus cratitius) [XC750847]
by Khristos Nizamis from Monarto South, South Australia, Australia (call)
Purple-gaped Honeyeater (Lichenostomus cratitius) [XC766711]
by id from Ferries McDonald Conservation Park, Monarto South, South Australia, Australia (call, dawn song)
Nest
Cup-shaped, composed of thin srips of bark and lined with grass, suspended from a branch of a bush or small tree, usually within a meter of the ground.
Eggs (Guide)
2; white-pink, with sparse red-brown spotting, mainly at the larger end; oval; about 21 x 15 mm. Incubation: about 13 - 14 days.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous.
Subspecies
Probably forms a superspecies with Grey-headed Honeyeater (Ptilotula keartlandi). Subspecies halmaturinus (type from Kangaroo I) is therefore a synonym of nominate.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
cratitius (Gould, 1841) - Kangaroo I, off South Australia.
occidentalis Cabanis, 1851 - Mallee from southern western Australia (area from Wheatbelt east to Kalgoorlie, south to Albany and Cape Arid) east, discontinously, to southern South Australia and the south-western Murray-Mallee east to north-western and north-central Victoria.
Similar Species
Superficially similar to Grey-fronted Honeyeater (Ptilotula plumula) and Yellow-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula ornata) both of which are smaller, and lack the prominent dark eye-stripe or mask, and have off-white underparts lightly or heavily streaked respectively.
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