Photo: William Matthew Hart / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Scaly-breasted Honeyeater
Lichmera squamata
Scaly-breasted Honeyeater (Lichmera squamata) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Scaly-breasted Honeyeater (Lichmera squamata) is a member of the Meliphagidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 14.5 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 squamata
Where it lives
Wetar and Leti to Babar (eastern Lesser Sundas) and Tayandu, Kai, and Tanimbar Is. (southern Moluccas)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 14.5 g
- Diet
- Nectar-feeders
- Family
- Meliphagidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Data Deficient
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Scaly-breasted Honeyeater is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Scaly-breasted Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Scaly-breasted Honeyeater (Lichmera squamata) belongs to the Meliphagidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Wetar and Leti to Babar (e Lesser Sundas) and Tayandu, Kai, and Tanimbar Is. (s Moluccas).
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 14.5 g, with a wing length of about 6.8 cm and a tail of around 5.7 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 9,999 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Scaly-breasted Honeyeater?
The Scaly-breasted Honeyeater is a very small bird that weighs around 14.5 g.
Where does the Scaly-breasted Honeyeater live?
The Scaly-breasted Honeyeater is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Wetar and Leti to Babar (e Lesser Sundas) and Tayandu, Kai, and Tanimbar Is. (s Moluccas), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Scaly-breasted Honeyeater belong to?
The Scaly-breasted Honeyeater (Lichmera squamata) belongs to the Meliphagidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Scaly-breasted Honeyeater eat?
The Scaly-breasted Honeyeater is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Does the Scaly-breasted Honeyeater migrate?
The Scaly-breasted Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Scaly-breasted 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 Scaly-breasted Honeyeater make?
1 real field recording of the Scaly-breasted 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 Scaly-breasted Honeyeater's range?
The Scaly-breasted Honeyeater has a mapped global range of about 9,999 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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