Photo: Peter Firminger from Wollombi, Australia / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-eared Honeyeater
Nesoptilotis leucotis
White-eared Honeyeater (Nesoptilotis leucotis) — 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 White-eared Honeyeater (Nesoptilotis leucotis) is a member of the Meliphagidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 23.9 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 Nesoptilotis
- Species leucotis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 23.9 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 White-eared Honeyeater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The White-eared Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-eared Honeyeater (Nesoptilotis leucotis) is a member of the Meliphagidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU sw, s, e Australia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 23.9 g, with a wing length of about 8.9 cm and a tail of around 8.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-eared Honeyeater?
The White-eared Honeyeater is a small bird that weighs around 23.9 g.
Where does the White-eared Honeyeater live?
The White-eared Honeyeater is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU sw, s, e Australia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the White-eared Honeyeater belong to?
The White-eared Honeyeater (Nesoptilotis leucotis) belongs to the Meliphagidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-eared Honeyeater eat?
The White-eared Honeyeater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-eared Honeyeater migrate?
The White-eared Honeyeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-eared 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 White-eared Honeyeater make?
1 real field recording of the White-eared 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 White-eared Honeyeater's range?
The White-eared 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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