Photo: Aviceda / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-plumed Honeyeater
Ptilotula penicillata
White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 16 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata) is a member of the Meliphagidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 19.4 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 Ptilotula
- Species penicillata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 19.4 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Meliphagidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-plumed Honeyeater is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The White-plumed Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata) is a member of the Meliphagidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Australia (except n, sw, Tasmania).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 19.4 g, with a wing length of about 7.9 cm and a tail of around 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.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 4.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-plumed Honeyeater?
The White-plumed Honeyeater is a small bird that weighs around 19.4 g.
Where does the White-plumed Honeyeater live?
The White-plumed Honeyeater is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Australia (except n, sw, Tasmania), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the White-plumed Honeyeater belong to?
The White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata) belongs to the Meliphagidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-plumed Honeyeater eat?
The White-plumed Honeyeater is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the White-plumed Honeyeater migrate?
The White-plumed Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-plumed 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 White-plumed Honeyeater make?
1 real field recording of the White-plumed 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 White-plumed Honeyeater's range?
The White-plumed Honeyeater has a mapped global range of about 4.9 million 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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Guides for this bird
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