Live in Goulburn Valley area of Northern Victoria and would like some help in identifying a bird that I saw briefly. It was similar to a blue faced honeyeater except for... Had fluffy distinctive green wings, not olive, and a green stripe above the eyes.
It could have been a juvenile? Otherwise Probably Black Chinned Honeyeater race laetior 'golden backed honeyeater'
Tegan - Melbourne Vic.
Thanks...the stripe above the eyes was quite long.
The fluffy wings would probably indicate a juvenile bird, but it was the size of an adult magpie lark.
Could you possibly send in a picture?
Tegan - Melbourne Vic.
Unfortunately I did not have an opportunity to photograph the bird.
I have asked a couple of local bird watchers about it, but no luck so far .
bump
Hello I noticed that you have bumped this thread hoping that you might get some more comment.
Nothing comes to mind based on your description; your size of about Magpie Lark suggests only HE would be Blue-faced HE; note a juvenile Blue-faced HE has an olive or green facial patch; all Blue-faced HEs have a white stripe extending around the head from the facial mask
I doubt that you will get any other feedback without a photo
Peter
Juvenile Blue-faced Honeyeater was my first thought. Were there any adults in the vicinity?
Thanks again for the comments.
Its wings were not olive green as in blue faced HE.
Could it have been a bird not native to Victoria. I mention this because it was on a branch of a gum tree quite close to me and maybe used to human proximity and perhaps be an x caged bird. .....grasping at straws here.
Saw similar bird today in the same tree....my original description may have been incorrect.
It was eating insects... long tail, white body, olive green wings, v shaped black on upper breast, continuing to black cap, white stripe from the eyes that ran around the back of head...almost identical to blue faced honeyeater as mentioned before, but definately no blue on face at all.
Look up black-chinned, White-naped, and brown-headed honeyeaters, I would expect it to be one of those
Ryu
Canberra
Aiming for DSLR-quality shots with a bridge camera
Thanks again,
I have now seen 3 different honeyeater looking birds in the same tree eating insects...last one having a wattlebird appearance.
Am I correct in assuming that the black chinned honeyeater is on average a much smaller bird than the common honeyeaters.
Can white naped honeyeaters have a black v shaped patch of black on the breast?
If you are reffering to the common honeyeaters being wattlebirds etc., then yes, much smaller, think grey fantail size.
White-naped may have a small bit of black under the beak but not what I would regard as a V. Brown-headed a small v-link think, but for these, we're talking no more than the height of the beak so tiny.
I woulod expect that you are seeing a black-chinned HE from your description
Ryu
Canberra
Aiming for DSLR-quality shots with a bridge camera