Lewin's Honeyeater

Lewin's Honeyeater is a solidly built, olive-green honeyeater of the wetter forests of eastern Australia, with plain dull-olive plumage relieved by a bright yellow, crescent-shaped patch on the ear coverts. The bill is fairly short and slightly downcurved, and the overall impression is of a robust, somewhat plain honeyeater best identified by its distinctive facial mark and voice.

It is a common and conspicuous inhabitant of rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest, frequently descending to feed on fallen or fruiting trees and shrubs, and its loud, machine-gun-like rattling call is one of the characteristic sounds of eastern Australian rainforest.

Key field marks

• Plain olive-green plumage overall, darker above, paler below
• Bright yellow, crescent-shaped patch on the ear coverts
• Short, slightly downcurved bill
• Sturdy, medium-large honeyeater build

Similar species

• Yellow-spotted Honeyeater (northern Queensland) is very similar but has a spotted rather than crescent-shaped ear patch and a small yellow gape spot.
• Graceful Honeyeater is smaller and slimmer with a less prominent ear patch.

Habitat

Inhabits rainforest, wet eucalypt forest, subtropical and temperate forest margins, and dense, well-vegetated gardens.

Range

Found along the east coast of Australia from central Queensland through New South Wales to eastern Victoria.

Migration

Mostly sedentary, with limited local movement.

Behavior

Active and often solitary or in loose pairs, foraging at all levels of the forest from the canopy to low shrubs; bold and vocal, frequently announcing its presence before being seen.

Voice

A loud, distinctive, rapid rattling call likened to a machine gun or clockwork toy, along with softer chattering notes.

Feeding

Feeds on fruit and berries, nectar from flowering trees and shrubs, and insects gleaned from foliage and bark.

Nesting

Builds a deep, cup-shaped nest of bark, vine tendrils, and moss, suspended from a fork in dense vegetation; lays 2 pale pinkish eggs with reddish spotting.