Painted Honeyeater - profile

Indicative distribution

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Key:

known

predicted

The areas shown in pink and/purple are the sub-regions where the species or community is known or predicted to occur. They may not occur thoughout the sub-region but may be restricted to certain areas. ( click here to see geographic restrictions). The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.

Scientific name: Grantiella picta

Conservation status in NSW: Vulnerable

Commonwealth status: Vulnerable

Profile last updated: 28 Mar 2023

Description

The Painted Honeyeater is small (16 cm) and distinctive, with a black head and back and white underparts with dark streaks on the flanks. The wings and tail are black with bright yellow edgings. The distinctive bill is pink with a dark tip. The female is greyer or browner than the male on the upperparts and has less streaking on the flanks. Juvenile colouration is even paler than females, appearing brown rather than black, with paler yellow edgings, and a brown bill.

Distribution

The Painted Honeyeater is nomadic and occurs at low densities throughout its range. The greatest concentrations of the bird and almost all breeding occurs on the inland slopes of the Great Dividing Range in NSW, Victoria and southern Queensland. During the winter it is more likely to be found in the north of its distribution.

Habitat and ecology

Inhabits Boree/ Weeping Myall (Acacia pendula), Brigalow (A. harpophylla) and Box-Gum Woodlands and Box-Ironbark Forests.
A specialist feeder on the fruits of mistletoes growing on woodland eucalypts and acacias. Prefers mistletoes of the genus Amyema.
Insects and nectar from mistletoe or eucalypts are occasionally eaten.
Nest from spring to autumn in a small, delicate nest hanging within the outer canopy of drooping eucalypts, she-oak, paperbark or mistletoe branches.

Regional distribution and habitat

Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.

Threats

Clearing of woodlands and open forests.
Removal of large, old trees with heavy mistletoe infestations.
Degradation of open forest and woodland remnants, including thinning of trees bearing mistletoe.
Heavy grazing of grassy woodlands.
Habitat infestation by weeds such as African boxthorn, Gazania and invasive grasses.
Inappropriate fire regimes.
Aggressive exclusion from forest and woodland habitat by over abundant Noisy Miners.
Degradation and simplification of habitat due to overgrazing

Recovery strategies

A Saving Our Species conservation project is currently being developed for this species and will be available soon. For information on how you can contribute to this species' recovery, see the Activities to assist this species section below.

Activities to assist this species

Manage grazing on sites where Painted Honeyeater habitat occurs.
Encourage regeneration of habitat by fencing remnant stands and undertaking new plantings.
Protect remnant woodland and open forest throughout the range of the species.
Regenerate and replant local flora species to maintain breeding and foraging habitat.
Conduct further research to increase understanding of habitat selection and nomadic movements of the Painted Honeyeater.
Report observations to DPE or the NSW BioNet Atlas.

Information sources

Garnett, S.T. and Crowley, G.M. (2000) The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000. Environment Australia, Canberra.
Higgins, P.J., Peter, J.M. and Steele, W.K. (eds) (2001) Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 5: Tyrant-flycatchers to Chats. (Oxford University Press, Melbourne)
Oliver, D.L., Chambers, M.A. and Parker, D.G. (2003) Habitat and resource selection of the Painted Honeyeater Grantiella picta on the northern floodplains of New South Wales. Emu 103, 171-176.
Oliver, D.L., Quin, B.R., Quin, D.G., Walpole, R.M. and Walpole, S.C. (1998) Observations of nectar and insect feeding by Painted Honeyeaters Grantiella picta. Australian Bird Watcher 17, 353-355.
Robinson, D. and Traill, B.J. (1996) Conserving woodland birds in the wheat and sheep belts of southern Australia. RAOU Conservation Statement No. 10. (Birds Australia, Melbourne)
Traill, B.J. and Duncan, S. (2000) Status of birds in the New South Wales Temperate woodlands region. Consultancy report to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. (Australian Woodlands Conservancy, Chiltern, Victoria)

IBRA Bioregion	IBRA Subregion	Known or predicted	Geographic restrictions region

Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Plains	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Range	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Moonie-Barwon Interfluve	Predicted	None
Brigalow Belt South	Narrandool	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Northern Basalts	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Northern Outwash	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Pilliga	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Pilliga Outwash	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Talbragar Valley	Predicted	None
Broken Hill Complex	Barrier Range Outwash	Known	None
Broken Hill Complex	Mootwingee Downs	Predicted	None
Channel Country	Bulloo	Predicted	None
Channel Country	Bulloo Dunefields	Predicted	None
Channel Country	Central Depression	Predicted	None
Channel Country	Core Ranges	Predicted	None
Channel Country	Sturt Stony Desert	Predicted	None
Cobar Peneplain	Barnato Downs	Known	None
Cobar Peneplain	Boorindal Plains	Known	None
Cobar Peneplain	Canbelego Downs	Known	None
Cobar Peneplain	Lachlan Plains	Known	None
Cobar Peneplain	Nymagee	Known	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Bogan-Macquarie	Known	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Castlereagh-Barwon	Known	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Culgoa-Bokhara	Known	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Louth Plains	Predicted	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Warrambool-Moonie	Known	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Wilcannia Plains	Predicted	None
Mulga Lands	Cuttaburra-Paroo	Predicted	None
Mulga Lands	Kerribree Basin	Predicted	None
Mulga Lands	Nebine Plains	Known	None
Mulga Lands	Paroo Overflow	Predicted	None
Mulga Lands	Paroo-Darling Sands	Predicted	None
Mulga Lands	Urisino Sandplains	Known	None
Mulga Lands	Warrego Plains	Known	None
Mulga Lands	Warrego Sands	Predicted	None
Mulga Lands	West Warrego	Predicted	None
Mulga Lands	White Cliffs Plateau	Predicted	None
Murray Darling Depression	Darling Depression	Known	None
Murray Darling Depression	South Olary Plain	Predicted	None
Nandewar	Inverell Basalts	Known	None
Nandewar	Kaputar	Known	None
Nandewar	Nandewar Northern Complex	Known	None
Nandewar	Peel	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Armidale Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Bundarra Downs	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Eastern Nandewars	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Glenn Innes-Guyra Basalts	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Nightcap	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Northeast Forest Lands	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Severn River Volcanics	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Stanthorpe Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Tenterfield Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Tingha Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Walcha Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Wongwibinda Plateau	Predicted	Within Guy Fawkes River National Park or within a 10 km buffer of the Park
New England Tablelands	Yarrowyck-Kentucky Downs	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Rocky River Gorge	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Tomalla	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Capertee Valley	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Inland Slopes	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Lower Slopes	Known	None
Other State	QLD	Known	None
Other State	SA	Known	None
Other State	VIC	Known	None
Riverina	Lachlan	Known	None
Riverina	Murray Fans	Known	None
Riverina	Murrumbidgee	Known	None
Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields	Strzelecki Desert	Predicted	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bathurst	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bondo	Predicted	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bungonia	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Capertee Uplands	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Crookwell	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Hill End	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Murrumbateman	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Oberon	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Orange	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Cumberland	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Hunter	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Kerrabee	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Wollemi	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Yengo	Known	None

Sounds

Images

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