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, with which it overlaps in range and habitat (see BQNL July 2026 Bird of the Month). 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”).
Though much less widespread and abundant than the White-throated Honeyeater in the Brisbane region (e.g. Bentley & Catterall 1997; Farmer et al. 2004), the White-naped is much commoner than the former in the highlands and west of the ranges (see below). Unlike the tropical and sub-tropical White-throated, the more cold-loving White-naped is partly migratory, and eBird records show a gradual increase in reporting rates in Brisbane from late summer through autumn, peaking in May and August, the former peak corresponding to their autumn passage. In NSW, reporting rates also increase from May to July, and seasonal maps suggest that the species leaves the high country in early winter for lower elevations (Cooper et al. 2020). In the Brisbane region too, there are more records in the lowlands in winter than in summer, but whether this is due to the presence of migrants from southern states or altitudinal migration of birds from the highlands, or both, is unknown. However, a detailed study in D’Aguilar NP (Noske, unpubl. data) suggested that many birds in the highlands (>500 m asl) are resident, remaining throughout winter, and although their abundance was highest in the summer months, this was possibly due to the addition of young birds. The species is also common on the western slopes at places like Durikai State Forest, from which the White-throated is absent (H. Hines, in press). Conversely, it is largely absent from the coast and offshore islands, where the White-throated is common (e.g. Roberts & Ingram 1976; Robertson & Woodall 1983; Ford 2013).
This species favours wet sclerophyll (eucalypt) forest and is much less likely to be seen in more open or drier eucalypt woodland than the White-throated. Both species occur around wetlands, but the White-naped appears to prefer the edges of creeks and waterbodies (e.g. Enoggera Reservoir, D’Aguilar NP), from which it possibly excludes the smaller White-throated. The two species are very similar in their foraging ecology, spending about two-thirds of their time gleaning invertebrates off the leaves of eucalypts, another quarter probing their flowers for nectar, and the remainder, inspecting branches and bark (Noske, unpubl. data).
Like the White-throated HE, White-naped Honeyeaters breed (i.e. lay eggs) from May to November, with a peak in winter months, and nests are usually built in eucalypts, though those of the White-naped tend to be higher, averaging 14 m (vs 10 m for White-throated) (Noske, unpubl. data). Only the female incubates (for 14 days), while her mate and sometimes 1 or 2 helpers, most likely their sons, assist in raising the chicks, which takes 14 days (Marchant 1986).
References
- Bentley, J.M., & Catterall, C.P. 1997. The use of bushland, corridors, and linear remnants by birds in southeastern Queensland, Australia. Conservation Biology 11: 1–17.
- Cooper, R.M., McAllan, I.A.W., Brandis, C.C.P., & Curtis, B.R. 2020. An Atlas of the Birds of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Volume 3 – Eastern Spinebill to Common Greenfinch. NSW Bird Atlassers Inc., Sydney.
- Farmer, D., Catterall, C.P., & Piper, S.D. 2004. Abundance patterns across months and locations, and their differences between migrant and resident landbirds in subtropical eucalypt forest. Emu 104: 283–296.
- Ford, T. 2013. Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Bribie Island. Bribie Island Environmental Protection Association Inc., Qld.
- Marchant, S. 1986. Nesting notes on the White-naped Honeyeater. Australian Birds 20: 52-55.
- Roberts, G.J. & Ingram, G.J. 1976. An annotated list of the land birds of Cooloola. Sunbird 7: 1-20.
- Robertson, J.S., & Woodall, P.F. 1983. The status and movements of honeyeaters at Wellington Point, South-East Queensland.
- Slater, P.J. 1995. The interaction of bird communities with vegetation and season in Brisbane Forest Park. Emu 95: 194-207.
