Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
Acanthagenys rufogularis
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis) — 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 Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis) is a member of the Meliphagidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 47.8 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 Acanthagenys
- Species rufogularis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 47.8 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Meliphagidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis) belongs to the Meliphagidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Australia (except n and Tasmania).
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 47.8 g, with a wing length of about 11.1 cm and a tail of around 11.1 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 6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater?
The Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 47.8 g.
Where does the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater live?
The Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Australia (except n and Tasmania), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater belong to?
The Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis) belongs to the Meliphagidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater eat?
The Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater migrate?
The Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spiny-cheeked 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 Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater make?
1 real field recording of the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater's range?
The Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater has a mapped global range of about 6 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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