Regent honeyeater
Common name: Regent honeyeater
Scientific name: Xanthomyza phrygia
Conservation status: The regent honeyeater is 'Endangered' in Queensland (Nature Conservation Act 1992) and 'Endangered' nationally (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999).
Description: The adultregent honeyeater is one of Australia's most striking and handsome birds. It is a medium-large sized honeyeater, up to 23cm in length. Females are slightly smaller than males. Both sexes look alike, possessing a black head with a fleshy, warty patch of skin around the eye. The breast is heavily marked with V-shaped stripes, black on white (often yellowish). The upper parts of the body and wings are black with yellow-gold patches and streaks. The tail is black with yellow-gold edges to the feathers. The bill and feet are primarily dark. The callis a series of soft fluid phrases and short metallic chinks.
Habitat and distribution: The regent honeyeater is found from Mackay, central Queensland, south to Wilmington, South Australia, especially on ranges and western slopes. It is an irregular autumn-winter visitor to Queensland. In south-east Queensland it can be found from Cooloola National Park to near the Queensland-New South Wales border. The estimated total population is between 500 and 1500 individuals.
The regent honeyeater is found in dry eucalypt woodland and open forest, woodland, rural and urban areas with mature eucalypts. It favours ironbark-box associations, including Eucalyptus sideroxylon, white box E. albens, yellow box E. melliodora, swamp mahogany E. robusta, and Casuarina cunninghamiana in riparian forest, which generally comprise large trees that are reliable nectar producers (both in timing and quantity) with a tall shrub layer.
Behaviour and life history: Generally this honeyeater is found in small flocks (1 to 37 birds) and is nomadic or a part seasonal migrant dependent on flower availability. This species is aggressive especially toward other nectar feeders. Breeding pairs occupy territories occasionally in loose aggregations, exhibit some fidelity to breeding site/district and may hold temporary feeding territories outside breeding season. It is a non-breeding visitor to south-east Queensland from February to July.
Breeding occurs from August to January (mostly September-November) with two to three eggs laid in a nest up to 15m above ground often in mistletoe. The eggs are incubated for 15 days and young fledge in 15 days. There is usually one brood every season, occasionally two. In Queensland breeding is confined to western slopes of the New England Tablelands.
Threatening processes: A major threat to the regent honeyeater is destruction and fragmentation of habitat. Other threats include, loss of trees due to felling for fence posts and firewood, and eucalypt dieback; decline in habitat quality, including lack of regeneration, due to stock and rabbit grazing and stock trampling of riparian habitats; and competition with other aggressive honeyeater species.
Recovery actions:
- I nitiate a population monitoring program at the three main breeding areas.
- Rehabilitate and revegetate habitat and facilitate community ownership and participation in these activities
- Initiate innovative research into movement patterns, particularly post breeding, and the degree of isolation between breeding populations.
- Investigate the impact of Noisy Miners on population stability.
- Educate the public about the species and its requirements.
- Develop habitat management partnerships with land owners within the range of the species.
Further information:
Menkhorst, P, Schedvin, N and Geering, D . 1999. Regent Honeyeater (Xanthomyza phrygia) Recovery Plan 1999-2003. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra.
Last updated: 31 August 2006