Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta)
Brown Honeyeater

Brown Honeyeater

Lichmera indistincta

The Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta) is a modestly adorned bird, cloaked in a grey-brown plumage. It is a medium-small bird, with a body length ranging from 12 to 16 centimeters and a wingspan of 18 to 23 centimeters. The male is marginally larger than the female, though differences between the sexes are subtle. A small yellow patch behind the eye and yellow-olive panels on the wings and tail are the bird's most distinctive features.

Identification Tips

To identify the Brown Honeyeater, look for its grey-brown body, darker brown wings, and the small yellow tuft behind the eye, which may be faint in some individuals. The bill is long, slender, and slightly curved, ideal for sipping nectar from flowers. The male's gape turns black during breeding season, while the female's remains pale yellow year-round.

Habitat

This species thrives in a variety of wooded environments, from mangroves to eucalypt woodlands. It is often found in coastal areas, as well as in sclerophyll forests and shrublands along watercourses.

Distribution

The Brown Honeyeater is widespread across western, northern, and eastern Australia, as well as New Guinea, surrounding islands, and the Lesser Sundas of Indonesia. It is the only honeyeater species to be found west of the Wallace Line.

Behaviour

The Brown Honeyeater is seasonally nomadic, moving within its local area in pursuit of flowering plants. It typically forages alone but may also join small groups or mixed-species flocks. It is known for its acrobatic flight, often seen hovering over flowers or chasing insects mid-air.

Song & Calls

The song of the Brown Honeyeater is a loud, clear, and musical delight, often described as the finest among honeyeaters. Its call is a sweet, rolling melody, while its alarm call is a sharp "ke-ke."

Breeding

Breeding territories are maintained annually, with the species displaying no elaborate courtship rituals. Both sexes contribute to nest building, which is a small cup woven from grass and soft bark. The female incubates the eggs and broods the chicks, with both parents feeding the young.

Similar Species

While there are slight variations among subspecies, the Brown Honeyeater's appearance is generally uniform, making it distinguishable from other honeyeater species by its size, coloration, and vocalizations.

Diet and Feeding

The diet consists primarily of nectar and insects. The bird feeds on nectar from a variety of flowering plants and catches insects in flight or by gleaning them from foliage.

Conservation Status

Despite local declines, such as in Western Australia's Wheatbelt region, the Brown Honeyeater is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, thanks to its large and widespread population.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Brown Honeyeaters on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Honeyeaters

A photo of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater

Acanthagenys rufogularis
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Dan R
Great app for bird fanatics
Great app for bird fanatics - very user friendly and a perfect place to share sightings.
Stewart W
Fantastic to be involved
Fantastic to be involved, great for mental health and gets you responding with the Challenges that are to takd part in.
Foxgirl100
Great app for beginner twitchers
I’ve had a passion of photographing birds for a long time now but have only just gotten into proper birdwatching, and this app is brilliant for those just getting started. There is a great sense of community among users and the app is very easy to use and professional. Awesome app altogether
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
David C
Very knowledgeable group
Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.
Marlster24
Very Wholesome App
Joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😄
Talli A
My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
Robred 2
Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.