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New Holland honeyeater
Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
-42.5985, 147.249
Field Notes
Description:
It is around eighteen centimetres long and is mainly black, with a white iris, white facial tufts and yellow margins on its wing and tail feathers. It is a very active bird and rarely sits long enough to give an extended view.
Habitat:
New Holland Honeyeaters obtain most of their carbohydrate requirements from the nectar of flowers. Subsequently, they are key pollinators of many flowering plant species, many of which are endemic to Australia such as Banksia, Hakea, Xanthorrhoea (Yacka), and Acacia. New Holland Honeyeaters may also consume honeydew, a sugary secretion produced by members of the family Psyllidae. Despite feeding primarily on nectar, New Holland Honeyeaters are not strictly nectarivorous. Nectar does not contain protein so New Holland Honeyeaters must supplement their diet with invertebrates such as spiders and crickets that are rich in protein. They sometimes feed alone but usually gather in large groups.
Notes:
Tasmania was "discovered" by a Dutchman, Able Tasman, and was called New Holland during the early years of European contact.
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