Noisy Miner

Overview

The Manorina melanocephala is a large, gregarious honeyeater endemic to eastern and southeastern Australia. Known for its highly social and aggressive behaviour, it inhabits a broad arc from Far North Queensland to Tasmania and southeastern South Australia.

Identification

• Large size, measuring 24–28 cm in length with a wingspan of 36–45 cm and a weight of 70–80 grams.
• Grey back, tail, and breast with white underparts and distinctive white scalloping on the nape and breast.
• Black crown, off-white forehead, and a bright orange-yellow bill and legs.
• A patch of bare yellow skin behind the eyes creating a 'cross-eyed' appearance, and white tips on the tail feathers.

Habitat

Primarily inhabits dry, open eucalypt forests that lack understory shrubs, including spotted gum, box, and ironbark forests. It also occupies degraded woodlands, farming areas, and suburban parks, thriving in human-dominated landscapes where open eucalypts are prevalent.

Diet

Forages in tree canopies, on trunks, and on the ground, feeding mainly on nectar, fruit, and insects. It gleans foliage for manna, honeydew, and lerp, and can sustain its nutritional needs from these sources.

Did you know?

The noisy miner is described as a 'reverse keystone' species, aggressively excluding smaller bird species from urban and rural environments, leading to significant reductions in avian diversity in occupied areas.