The mangrove honeyeater is a species of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. The species was once considered to be conspecific with the varied honeyeater, but it is now treated as a separate species. These two species form a genus with the singing honeyeater.
Region
Eastern Australia
Typical Environment
Occurs along the coastal fringe of Queensland south into northern New South Wales, almost entirely within mangrove forests and adjacent coastal thickets. It frequents estuaries, tidal creeks, saltmarsh edges, and paperbark or she-oak fringe woodlands adjoining mangroves. In developed areas it may visit coastal parks and gardens near tidal wetlands. It typically keeps close to dense foliage but will forage in the canopy when mangroves are flowering.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 200 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The mangrove honeyeater is tightly associated with coastal mangrove habitats in eastern Australia and is an important pollinator of mangrove flowers. It was formerly lumped with the varied honeyeater but is now treated as a separate species; both are close to the singing honeyeater. Its bold face pattern and heavily streaked throat help distinguish it from similar honeyeaters. Pairs defend territories year-round and often remain in the same patch of mangroves.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly, in pairs, or small family groups holding year-round territories within mangroves. Nest is a small cup placed in dense foliage; typical clutches are two eggs. Breeding occurs mainly in spring to summer, with both adults feeding the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include sharp scolding calls and a series of clear, ringing notes interspersed with buzzing phrases. Songs carry well across tidal flats and are used in territory defense and pair contact.
Plumage
Olive-brown upperparts with grey tones, and whitish underparts heavily streaked on the throat and breast. The face shows a bold white supercilium and a dark mask through the eye. Yellow-olive edges on wings and tail are often visible in good light.
Diet
Takes nectar from flowering mangroves (e.g., Avicennia marina) and other coastal shrubs, and gleans insects and spiders from foliage and bark. Also consumes lerps and honeydew when available, and occasionally small fruits. Foraging is active and methodical, moving between blossoms and probing crevices.
Preferred Environment
Feeds primarily in mangrove canopies and mid-story, especially along estuary margins and tidal creek edges. Will also forage in adjacent paperbark and she-oak stands and sometimes coastal gardens near mangroves.
