Photo: Ric Raftis from Wedderburn, Australia / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown-headed Honeyeater
Melithreptus brevirostris
Brown-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus brevirostris) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 14 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus brevirostris) is a member of the Meliphagidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 12.6 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 brevirostris
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12.6 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 Brown-headed 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 Brown-headed Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus brevirostris) is a member of the Meliphagidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU sw, s, ec Australia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12.6 g, with a wing length of about 6.9 cm and a tail of around 5.5 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 2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown-headed Honeyeater?
The Brown-headed Honeyeater is a very small bird that weighs around 12.6 g.
Where does the Brown-headed Honeyeater live?
The Brown-headed Honeyeater is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU sw, s, ec Australia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Brown-headed Honeyeater belong to?
The Brown-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus brevirostris) belongs to the Meliphagidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Brown-headed Honeyeater eat?
The Brown-headed Honeyeater is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Brown-headed Honeyeater migrate?
The Brown-headed Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown-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 Brown-headed Honeyeater make?
1 real field recording of the Brown-headed Honeyeater — including its duet — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Brown-headed Honeyeater's range?
The Brown-headed Honeyeater has a mapped global range of about 2 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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