Photo: Eve Parry from Frankland River, Western Australia / CC BY 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
Gilbert’s Honeyeater
Melithreptus chloropsis
Gilbert's Honeyeater (Melithreptus chloropsis) — 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 Gilbert’s Honeyeater (Melithreptus chloropsis) is a member of the Meliphagidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 14 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 chloropsis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 14 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 Gilbert’s Honeyeater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Gilbert’s Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Gilbert’s Honeyeater (Melithreptus chloropsis) is a member of the Meliphagidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU sw WA (sw Australia).
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 14 g, with a wing length of about 7.7 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.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 217,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Gilbert’s Honeyeater?
The Gilbert’s Honeyeater is a very small bird that weighs around 14 g.
Where does the Gilbert’s Honeyeater live?
The Gilbert’s Honeyeater is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU sw WA (sw Australia), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Gilbert’s Honeyeater belong to?
The Gilbert’s Honeyeater (Melithreptus chloropsis) belongs to the Meliphagidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Gilbert’s Honeyeater eat?
The Gilbert’s Honeyeater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Gilbert’s Honeyeater migrate?
The Gilbert’s Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Gilbert’s 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 Gilbert’s Honeyeater make?
1 real field recording of the Gilbert’s 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 Gilbert’s Honeyeater's range?
The Gilbert’s Honeyeater has a mapped global range of about 217,000 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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