Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-headed Honeyeater
Melithreptus affinis
Black-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus affinis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus affinis) is a member of the Meliphagidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 15 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 Melithreptus
- Species affinis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 15 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Meliphagidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-headed Honeyeater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-headed Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus affinis) belongs to the Meliphagidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Tasmania and Bass Strait is. (se Australia).
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 15 g, with a wing length of about 7.8 cm and a tail of around 5.9 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 68,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-headed Honeyeater?
The Black-headed Honeyeater is a very small bird that weighs around 15 g.
Where does the Black-headed Honeyeater live?
The Black-headed Honeyeater is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Tasmania and Bass Strait is. (se Australia), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-headed Honeyeater belong to?
The Black-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus affinis) belongs to the Meliphagidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-headed Honeyeater eat?
The Black-headed Honeyeater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-headed Honeyeater migrate?
The Black-headed Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-headed 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 Black-headed Honeyeater make?
1 real field recording of the Black-headed 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 Black-headed Honeyeater's range?
The Black-headed Honeyeater has a mapped global range of about 68,000 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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Guides for this bird
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