Photo: Duncan Wright / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey-eared Honeyeater
Lichmera incana
Grey-eared Honeyeater (Lichmera incana) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
The Grey-eared Honeyeater (Lichmera incana) is a member of the Meliphagidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 13.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Meliphagidae Honeyeaters
- Genus Lichmera
- Species incana
Where it lives
Central, southern Vanuatu and New Caledonia including Loyalty Is.
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13.1 g
- Diet
- Nectar-feeders
- Family
- Meliphagidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grey-eared Honeyeater is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Grey-eared Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Grey-eared Honeyeater (Lichmera incana) is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU c, s Vanuatu and New Caledonia including Loyalty Is.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13.1 g, with a wing length of about 7.3 cm and a tail of around 6.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 24,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey-eared Honeyeater?
The Grey-eared Honeyeater is a very small bird that weighs around 13.1 g.
Where does the Grey-eared Honeyeater live?
The Grey-eared Honeyeater is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU c, s Vanuatu and New Caledonia including Loyalty Is, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Grey-eared Honeyeater belong to?
The Grey-eared Honeyeater (Lichmera incana) belongs to the Meliphagidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Grey-eared Honeyeater eat?
The Grey-eared Honeyeater is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Does the Grey-eared Honeyeater migrate?
The Grey-eared Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Grey-eared Honeyeater endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Grey-eared Honeyeater make?
1 real field recording of the Grey-eared Honeyeater — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Grey-eared Honeyeater's range?
The Grey-eared Honeyeater has a mapped global range of about 24,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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