Photo: Joseph Smit / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Spotted Honeyeater
Xanthotis polygrammus
Spotted Honeyeater (Xanthotis polygrammus) — 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 Spotted Honeyeater (Xanthotis polygrammus) is a member of the Meliphagidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 20 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 Xanthotis
- Species polygrammus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 20 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Meliphagidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Data Deficient
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spotted 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 Spotted Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spotted Honeyeater (Xanthotis polygrammus) is a member of the Meliphagidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU New Guinea.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 20 g, with a wing length of about 7.4 cm and a tail of around 5.8 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 421,000 km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spotted Honeyeater?
The Spotted Honeyeater is a small bird that weighs around 20 g.
Where does the Spotted Honeyeater live?
The Spotted Honeyeater is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU New Guinea, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Spotted Honeyeater belong to?
The Spotted Honeyeater (Xanthotis polygrammus) belongs to the Meliphagidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Spotted Honeyeater eat?
The Spotted Honeyeater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Spotted Honeyeater migrate?
The Spotted Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spotted 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.
How large is the Spotted Honeyeater's range?
The Spotted Honeyeater has a mapped global range of about 421,000 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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