Black-headed Honeyeater

Overview

The black-headed honeyeater (Melithreptus affinis) is a mid-sized bird species in the family Meliphagidae, endemic to Tasmania and nearby islands. It is one of two members of the genus Melithreptus and is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Olive-green plumage above with a white underside and a wholly black head that lacks the white nape seen in relatives.
• Features a blue-white patch of bare skin around the eye and a small beak.

Habitat

Endemic to Tasmania, King Island, and the Furneaux Group, where it inhabits temperate forests, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, wet and dry sclerophyll forests, scrub, heathland, and subalpine habitats up to 1200 m in altitude.

Diet

Despite its name, the species eats predominantly insects and spiders, with flower nectar making up the remainder of its diet. It specialises in foraging among tree foliage, often hanging upside down from branches, which distinguishes it from relatives that probe tree trunks.

Did you know?

Although it is a honeyeater, the species consumes predominantly insects rather than nectar, a dietary preference that likely contributes to it rarely overlapping with the strong-billed honeyeater, which specialises in probing trunks.