The wattled smoky honeyeater or Foja honeyeater is a species of honeyeater with a sooty-grey plumage and a black bill. The most distinctive feature is arguably the extensive reddish-orange facial skin and pendulous wattle. In other members of the genus Melipotes, these sections only appear reddish when "flushed" and the wattle is smaller.
Region
New Guinea Highlands
Typical Environment
This species is restricted to the Foja Mountains of western New Guinea, inhabiting montane rainforest and mossy cloud forest. It frequents the mid to upper canopy, often around flowering trees where nectar is abundant. Edges, gaps, and ridgelines with blooming shrubs are favored feeding spots. The terrain is rugged and largely undisturbed, with dense vegetation and high epiphyte loads. It likely uses a small elevational band where flowering resources are most reliable.
Altitude Range
1000–2200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Discovered in 2005 in the remote Foja Mountains of New Guinea, this honeyeater is notable for its extensive reddish-orange facial skin and a pendulous wattle that remains brightly colored rather than flushing only during excitement. It belongs to the Meliphagidae (honeyeater) family and is among the larger honeyeaters of the region. Its remote, montane habitat has helped keep it little known and rarely observed.
Temperament
wary and active
Flight Pattern
short, direct flights with rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly, in pairs, or small family groups. It forages methodically through flowering trees and may join mixed-species flocks when resources are abundant. Nesting is presumed to be a cup placed in dense vegetation, as in related species, though details remain poorly documented.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include nasal, piping notes and harsh, chattering calls typical of large honeyeaters. The song is simple and repetitive, often delivered from mid-canopy perches, and may be interspersed with contact calls while foraging.
Plumage
Uniform sooty-grey to smoky-grey plumage with a smooth, slightly velvety texture.
Diet
Primarily feeds on nectar from blossoms of montane trees and shrubs, probing with its slightly decurved bill. Supplements its diet with small arthropods gleaned from foliage and bark crevices. It will also take soft fruits when available, especially during periods of lower floral abundance.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the mid to upper canopy of montane rainforest, especially at flowering trees along ridges and forest edges. It also works along gaps and sunlit crowns where blooms and insect activity are concentrated.
