19/08/2026
White-naped Honeyeater -Melithreptus lunatus
Found along the coast and ranges of eastern Australia from the Atherton Tablelands in the north to the Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia, the White-naped Honeyeater is often mistaken for the White-throated Honeyeater (BQ July 2026 Bird of the Month), with which it overlaps in range and habitat. Indeed, in the sole published study of the birds of Brisbane’s D’Aguilar National Park, the White-naped was never recorded, the author (Slater 1995) presumably assuming all Melithreptus honeyeaters were the commoner White-throated. Although it is slightly larger than the latter, the White-naped is readily recognised by the greater amount of black on the head (which extends to the chin); its shorter, narrower white band around the nape; and orange-red skin above the eye. Moreover, its diverse calls are strikingly different from those of the White-throated, including slightly downward-inflected “tew” notes, often 3-5 in succession, and harsh, unmusical pishing notes (“pshh”).
Learn more on Birds Queensland website: https://birdsqueensland.org.au/bird/white-naped-honeyeater/
Text © Richard Noske
Images © Peter Storer, Graham Donaldson, and Norm Clayton
