Sorry, I don't have any photos, but I saw this bird hopping about the ground, probably chasing insects. My first thought was that it was some sort of honeyeater, but I cannot find it in my books. The bird was smallish, smaller than a Lewin's honeyeater, but the same shape. Overall it was a brown-olive colour, but it had very distinctive white line on its face.
After I watched it for a few seconds it flitted away. It flew in a similar manner to a spinebill.
Its markings were similar to that of a Lewin's except much finer and whiter. From vague memory it had one long line under its eye and another above or behind its eye, possibly curving.
This is in Gippsland, and it was in a clearing under some pine trees, not far from a river.
Any ideas?
- soakes
Hi Soakes,
I haven't checked the range for this bird, but it could be a Yellow-faced Honeyeater. They are similar to the Lewin's Honeyeater, but the Y-f has yellow both above and below the eye.
I think they may be just a tiny bit smaller than a Lewin's Honeyeater.
Regards,
Andy.
Hi soakes and Andy, I think you are right, it could be a Yellow-faced Honeyeater. They are a lot smaller than the Lewin's, I saw one in the distance yesterday,I shouldn't post fuzzy photos, but, does this look like the bird you saw soakes?
very bad photo, sorry. M-L
M-L
Thanks Andy and Araminta,
You are both quite possibly right. I was pretty sure that the bird I saw had very vivid white lines rather than yellow ones. In fact I was specifically looking at the colour because I knew that the line colour would be important for identification.
However in the absence of any photographic evidence I am going to have to assume that my eyes / memory could have been faulty....and it was a fairly low-light situation.
So for now I'm assuming I saw a yellow-faced honeyeater and will add that to my list, but I'll keep a look out for that bird again!
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
One thing that counts against this diagnosis is this, from the BiB website:
Yellow-faced Honeyeaters feed on nectar, pollen, fruit, seeds, insects and their products. They tend to forage in the flowers and foliage of trees and shrubs, as well as mistletoe, and are rarely seen on the ground.
The one I saw was jumping around on the ground.
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
Maybe it dropped something? (the keys to the nest?) LOL
M-L
Could it be a White browed Scrub Wren? Ray
I was just going to suggest the same thing, Ray. Looking forward to finding out what it is.
Definitely not a scrub wren - I know them very well!
The body was the wrong colour and shape and it didn't look angry!
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
I am pretty sure that the bird I saw was a yellow-faced honeyeater. They are around again; apparently they come South for Summer. I still think their lines look white!
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
Hi soakes, nice to hear from you again. The Yellow-faced Honeyeaters have turned up in numbers at my place last week. Fast &furious. Posted some photos last week, but this one is for you
M-L
Beautiful. They don't sit still long enough for me to even get a good look at them, let alone take a good photo!
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
One of your earlier posts said it wasn't a scrub wren because it didn't look angry enough. I think a YFH looks at least as angry as a scrub wren.
Soakes maybe a white plumed honeyeater
I agree with besty, white plumed sounds more likely, they are more shy of people. YFH are not very shy and nest close to my house every year. I think it is much too early for YFH chicks to be fledging. Listen to the calls, YFH are very loud and will be calling all the time, often right in your face. White plumed are much quieter.
It sounds like everyone here has got it covered, but I was reading your very first description of it (hopping around under a tree). I wondered if it could be a bird from the babbler family (Pomatostomus)? You might be in the wrong spot for them but I just wondered
I'm probably way off aren't I?
Are you in the right area for white-lined honeyeaters?