Photo: Joseph Smit / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Ornate Melidectes
Melidectes torquatus
Ornate Melidectes (Melidectes torquatus) — 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 Ornate Melidectes (Melidectes torquatus) is a member of the Meliphagidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 44.9 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 Melidectes
- Species torquatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 44.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Meliphagidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Ornate Melidectes 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 Ornate Melidectes is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Ornate Melidectes (Melidectes torquatus) is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU montane New Guinea.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 44.9 g, with a wing length of about 11.1 cm and a tail of around 9.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 96,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Ornate Melidectes?
The Ornate Melidectes is a small bird that weighs around 44.9 g.
Where does the Ornate Melidectes live?
The Ornate Melidectes is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU montane New Guinea, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Ornate Melidectes belong to?
The Ornate Melidectes (Melidectes torquatus) belongs to the Meliphagidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Ornate Melidectes eat?
The Ornate Melidectes is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Ornate Melidectes migrate?
The Ornate Melidectes is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Ornate Melidectes 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 Ornate Melidectes make?
1 real field recording of the Ornate Melidectes can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Ornate Melidectes's range?
The Ornate Melidectes has a mapped global range of about 96,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Meliphagidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.