Purple-gaped honeyeater

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Purple-gaped honeyeater
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Meliphagidae
Genus: Lichenostomus
Species:
L. cratitius
Binomial name
Lichenostomus cratitius
(Gould, 1841)
Subspecies
L. c. occidentalis
L. c. cratitius
Distribution of the purple-gaped honeyeater

The purple-gaped honeyeater (Lichenostomus cratitius) is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to semi-arid southern Australia, where it inhabits mallee, tall heath and associated low eucalypt woodland.[2]


Description[edit]

The purple-gaped honeyeater is a medium-sized (16-19 centimetres) honeyeater which is generally grey-olive above and buffish yellow below.[3] They have a patterned head, with a black eyestripe against a grey background and purple gape above a yellow streak on the throat and pointed yellow ear coverts.[3] Juveniles are similar, but with duller facial patterns, slightly browner plumage, and a yellow gape and gape line.[2] The Kangaroo Island subspecies is considered to be larger and darker than the mainland subspecies.[2]

Similar species include yellow-plumed honeyeater and singing honeyeater.[4]

Call[edit]

The song is a clear toweet-toweet-toweet, followed by a high-pitched yep-yep-yep, often performed from a tall branch, including before dawn.[2][4]

Distribution[edit]

They occur in disjunct populations across southern Australia, east from southern Western Australia, with the eastern population largely occurring south of the Murray River, and NSW forming the extreme north-east of its range.[3] Despite its naturally disjunct populations, the purple-gaped honeyeater has very low genetic diversity across its range.[5]

Ecology and behaviour[edit]

The main habitat type for purple-gaped honeyeater is mallee woodland and shrubland.[4] This includes bull mallee, with patches of green mallee or blue mallee.[4] They also occur in yellow gum woodland with dense thickets of 'totem-poles' or violet honey-myrtle on low-lying flats and gullies in mallee areas.[4] They are occasionally recorded in river red gums bordering waterways,[3] and seasonally in red ironbark woodlands when they are in flower.[4] Purple-gaped honeyeaters can also occasionally be found in gardens.[2]

They are gregarious, usually seen in pairs, or groups of 3-8 birds.[4] Generally considered quiet and unobtrusive, except in spring when they may call often.[4] They are known to regularly drink and bathe, particularly in warmer weather.[4] Purple-gaped honeyeaters associate with yellow-plumed honeyeater and tawny-crowned honeyeater,[4] but can be aggressive towards other honeyeaters,[2] and frequently chase other birds, particularly when feeding.[3]

Diet[edit]

Purple-gaped honeyeaters feed mainly on nectar and insects,[2] especially from flowering mallee eucalypts,[4] and banksias.[3] They also forage for insects under loose bark on trunks and branches of trees, or catch flying insects on the wing.[4][3] Seeds, pollen and honeydew from scale insects are less frequently consumed.[3]

Reproduction[edit]

Purple-gaped honeyeaters build nests as a small cup of bark strips, grass and down, bound with spider web and egg sacs, slung in a horizontal fork or from slender branchlets within dense foliage (usually broombush or eucalypts), normally less than three metres above the ground.[3]

Threats[edit]

The purple-gaped honeyeater is vulnerable to clearing of mallee, which destroys habitat by removing food plants and nesting sites.[3]

Conservation actions[edit]

Conservation status[edit]

  • Internationally
* The species is listed under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as a species of 'Least concern'.[1]
  • Australia
* In NSW, it is listed as Vulnerable under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.[3]
* In South Australia, the species is listed as Rare under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.[6]
* In Victoria, the species is listed as Vulnerable under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.[7]

Protected areas[edit]

Purple-gaped honeyeaters occur in several protected areas, including:

  • New South Wales
* Mallee Cliffs National Park[3]
  • South Australia
* Flinders Chase National Park[8]
* Gawler Ranges National Park[9]
* Billiatt Conservation Park[10]
* Peebinga Conservation Park[11]
* Gluepot Reserve[12]
  • Victoria
* Greater Bendigo National Park[4]
* Hattah-Kulkyne National Park[13]
* Little Desert National Park[13]
* Murray-Sunset National Park[13]
* Wyperfeld National Park[13]
* Big Desert Wilderness Park[13]
* Lake Albacutya Park[13]
* Inglewood Nature Conservation Reserve[4]
* Wychitella Nature Conservation Reserve[4]
  • Western Australia
* Cape Arid National Park[14]
* Cape Le Grand National Park[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b BirdLife International (2016). "Lichenostomus cratitius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22704079A93951785. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22704079A93951785.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Menkhorst, P., Rogers, D., Clarke, R., Davies, J., Marsack, P., Franklin, K. (2019) The Australian Bird Guide: Revised Edition, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, Victoria, ISBN 9781486311934
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Purple-gaped Honeyeater - profile". NSW Office of Environment & Heritage. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Tzaros, C. (2021) Wildlife of the Box-Ironbark Country. 2nd Edition, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, Victoria, ISBN 9781486313150
  5. ^ Joseph, L.; Campbell, C. D.; Pedler, L. & Drew, A. (2021). "Genomic data show little geographical structure across the naturally fragmented range of the purple-gaped honeyeater". Australian Journal of Zoology. 67 (4): 226–230. doi:10.1071/ZO20074.
  6. ^ "National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972" (PDF) (PDF). Department for Environment and Water (South Australia). March 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 - Threatened List" (PDF) (PDF). Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  8. ^ Paton, D. C. (1980). "The importance of manna, honeydew and lerp in the diets of honeyeaters". Emu. 80: 213–226. doi:10.1071/MU9800213.
  9. ^ "Important Bird Areas factsheet: Gawler Ranges". BirdLife International. 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  10. ^ "Important Bird Areas factsheet: Billiatt". BirdLife International. 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Important Bird Areas factsheet: Peebinga". BirdLife International. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  12. ^ "Birdlife Gluepot Reserve Bird List - April 2016 (Alphabetic Order)" (PDF). Gluepot Reserve (PDF). Birdlife Australia. April 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  13. ^ a b c d e f "Factsheet - Birds of the Mallee Parks" (PDF). Parks Victoria (PDF). Victoria State Government. May 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Mt Ragged Campground". Parks and Wildlife Service (PDF). Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (Western Australia). 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  15. ^ "Cape Le Grand National Park Bird Checklist". Avibase. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
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