Voice
A regular, sharp, treecreeper-like, 'tip, tip, tip, tip' and rapid, sharp, scratchy, 'whitch-whitch-whitch'. Song is a rollicking, 'chwip-chkachip-kukachip-kukachip'. Also a rather harsh, 'kraach-kraach-'.
Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) [XC809292]
by Peter Boesman from Edgar Dam Campground, Southwest, Derwent Valley Council, Tasmania, Australia (call)
Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) [XC809291]
by Drew Davison from Edgar Dam Campground, Southwest, Derwent Valley Council, Tasmania, Australia (call)
Nest
Cup-shaped, composed of bark, grasses and wool, suspended from drooping branches of a tree or shrub, sometimes at a considerable height.
Eggs (Guide)
2 - 3; pale flesh, spotted and speckled with red-brown and purple-grey, particularly at the larger end; oval; about 22 x 17 mm. Incubation: about 15 days.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 15 days.
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Forms a superspecies with Black-chinned Honeyeater (Melithreptus gularis). Birds from King I (in Bass Strait) described as subspecies kingi, but differences from those elsewhere in range appear too trivial to warrant naming of geographical subspecies.
Similar Species
In Tasmania with Black-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus affinis) which lacks a white nape.
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