Regent 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: Anthochaera phrygia

Conservation status in NSW: Critically Endangered

Commonwealth status: Critically Endangered

Gazetted date: 05 Nov 2010

Profile last updated: 18 Apr 2024

Description

The Regent Honeyeater is a striking and distinctive, medium-sized, black and yellow honeyeater with a sturdy, curved bill. Adults weigh 35 - 50 grams, are 20 - 24 cm long and have a wings-pan of 30 cm. Its head, neck, throat, upper breast and bill are black and the back and lower breast are pale lemon in colour with a black scalloped pattern. Its flight and tail feathers are edged with bright yellow. There is a characteristic patch of dark pink or cream-coloured facial-skin around the eye. Sexes are similar, though males are larger, darker and have larger patch of bare facial-skin. The call is a soft metallic bell-like song; birds are most vocal in non-breeding season. It has recently been placed in the genus Anthochaera along with the wattlebirds, and was formerly known by the name Xanthomyza phrygia.

Distribution

The Regent Honeyeater mainly inhabits temperate woodlands and open forests of the inland slopes of south-east Australia. Birds are also found in drier coastal woodlands and forests in some years. Once recorded between Adelaide and the central coast of Queensland, its range has contracted dramatically in the last 30 years to between north-eastern Victoria and south-eastern Queensland. There are very few breeding regions remaining: north-east Victoria (Chiltern-Albury), and in NSW at Capertee Valley, Mudgee/Wollar, Lower Hunter Valley and the Bundarra-Barraba region. In NSW the distribution is very patchy and mainly confined to the breeding areas and surrounding fragmented woodlands. In some years flocks converge on flowering coastal woodlands and forests.

Habitat and ecology

The Regent Honeyeater is a flagship threatened woodland bird whose conservation will benefit a large suite of other threatened and declining woodland fauna. The species inhabits dry open forest and woodland, particularly Box-Ironbark woodland, and riparian forests of River Sheoak. Regent Honeyeaters inhabit woodlands that support a significantly high abundance and species richness of bird species. These woodlands have significantly large numbers of mature trees, high canopy cover and abundance of mistletoes.
Every few years non-breeding flocks are seen foraging in flowering coastal Swamp Mahogany and Spotted Gum forests, particularly on the central coast and occasionally on the upper north coast. Birds are occasionally seen on the south coast.
In the last 10 years Regent Honeyeaters have been recorded in urban areas around Albury where woodlands tree species such as Mugga Ironbark and Yellow Box were planted 20 years ago.
The Regent Honeyeater is a generalist forager, although it feeds mainly on the nectar from a relatively small number of eucalypts that produce high volumes of nectar. Key eucalypt species include Mugga Ironbark, Yellow Box, White Box and Swamp Mahogany. Other tree species may be regionally important. For example the Lower Hunter Spotted Gum forests have recently been demonstrated to support regular breeding events. Flowering of associated species such as Thin-leaved Stringybark Eucalyptus eugenioides and other Stringybark species, and Broad-leaved Ironbark E. fibrosa can also contribute important nectar flows at times. Nectar and fruit from the mistletoes Amyema miquelii, A. pendula and A. cambagei are also utilised. When nectar is scarce lerp and honeydew can comprise a large proportion of the diet. Insects make up about 15% of the total diet and are important components of the diet of nestlings.
Colour-banding of Regent Honeyeater has shown that the species can undertake large-scale nomadic movements in the order of hundreds of kilometres. However, the exact nature of these movements is still poorly understood. It is likely that movements are dependent on spatial and temporal flowering and other resource patterns. To successfully manage the recovery of this species a full understanding of the habitats used in the non-breeding season is critical.
There are several known key breeding areas, four of them in NSW - Capertee Valley, Lower Hunter Valley, Mudgee/Wollar and Bundarra-Barraba regions. The species breeds between July and January in Box-Ironbark and other temperate woodlands and riparian gallery forest. Regent Honeyeaters usually nest in horizontal branches or forks in tall mature eucalypts and Sheoaks. Also nest in mistletoe haustoria.
An open cup-shaped nest is constructed of bark, grass, twigs and wool by the female. Two or three eggs are laid and incubated by the female for 14 days. Nestlings are brooded and fed by both parents at an average rate of 23 times per hour and fledge after 16 days. Fledglings fed by both parents 29 times per hour.

Regional distribution and habitat

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

Threats

Historical loss, fragmentation and degradation of habitat from clearing for agricultural and residential development, particularly fertile Yellow Box-White Box-Blakely's Red Gum Woodlands.
Continuing loss of key habitat tree species and remnant woodlands from major developments (mining and agricultural), timber gathering and residential developments.
Key habitats continue to degrade from lack of recruitment of key forage species and loss of paddock trees and small remnants increasingly fragmenting the available habitat.
Suppression of natural regeneration of overstorey tree species and shrub species from overgrazing. Riparian gallery forests have been particularly impacted by overgrazing.
Competition from larger aggressive honeyeaters, particularly noisy miners, noisy friarbirds and red wattlebirds.
The small population size and restricted habitat availability make the species highly vulnerable to extinction via stochastic processes and loss of genetic diversity, and reduced ability to compete, increased predation and reduced fledging rates.
Egg and nest predation by native birds and mammals.
Inappropriate forestry management practices that remove large mature resource-abundant trees. Firewood collection and harvesting in Box-Ironbark woodlands can also remove important habitat components.
Disturbance at nesting sites leading to reduced nesting success by recreational users.
Loss of key foraging resources as a result of inappropriate fire regimes.
Drought has limited the availability of free-standing water, which is considered a key component of an optimal nesting site.

Recovery strategies

A targeted strategy for managing this species has been developed under the Saving Our Species program; click here for details. For more information on the Saving Our Species program click here

Activities to assist this species

Maintain a captive population of Regent Honeyeaters and release zoo-bred birds into the wild.
Provide landholders and other community members with information on the ecology and conservation requirements of the Regent Honeyeater. Use incentives on private land to encourage landholders to manage key areas.
No loss of mature key nectar tree species. Minimise the removal of mistletoes at key sites.
Encourage landholders/agistees to remove stock from sensitive riparian breeding sites.
Protect and enhance key breeding and foraging habitats.
Encourage natural regeneration and increase the remnant size of known and potential Regent Honeyeater habitats.
Continue treeplanting programs at key breeding and foraging locations.
No further loss of known woodland and forest habitat throughout the range of the Regent Honeyeater from developments.
Conduct research into habitat selection in non-breeding season and long-distance movements.
Investigate impacts of interspecific competition for resources and nest predation by native birds and arboreal mammals.

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	Northern Basalts	Predicted	None
Brigalow Belt South	Pilliga	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Talbragar Valley	Known	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	Beardy River Hills	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Binghi Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Bundarra Downs	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Deepwater Downs	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Eastern Nandewars	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Ebor Basalts	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Glenn Innes-Guyra Basalts	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Moredun Volcanics	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Nightcap	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Northeast Forest Lands	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Round Mountain	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	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Walcha Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Wongwibinda Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Yarrowyck-Kentucky Downs	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Barrington	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Carrai Plateau	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Cataract	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Chaelundi	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Coffs Coast and Escarpment	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Comboyne Plateau	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Dalmorton	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Ellerston	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Guy Fawkes	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Karuah Manning	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Macleay Gorges	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Macleay Hastings	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Mummel Escarpment	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Rocky River Gorge	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Tomalla	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Upper Hunter	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Upper Manning	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Washpool	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Yuraygir	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
Ocean	Batemans Shelf	Known	None
Ocean	Hawkesbury Shelf	Known	None
Ocean	Manning Shelf	Known	None
Ocean	Tweed-Moreton	Known	None
Other State	ACT	Known	None
Other State	Jervis Bay Territory	Known	None
Other State	QLD	Known	None
Other State	SA	Known	None
Other State	VIC	Known	None
Riverina	Murray Fans	Known	None
Riverina	Murrumbidgee	Known	None
South East Corner	Bateman	Known	None
South East Corner	South East Coastal Ranges	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bathurst	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bondo	Known	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	Kanangra	Predicted	None
South Eastern Highlands	Kybeyan-Gourock	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Monaro	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Murrumbateman	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Oberon	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Orange	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Burringbar-Conondale Ranges	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Clarence Lowlands	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Clarence Sandstones	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Scenic Rim	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Sunshine Coast-Gold Coast Lowlands	Predicted	None
South Eastern Queensland	Woodenbong	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Burragorang	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Cumberland	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Ettrema	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Hunter	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Illawarra	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Jervis	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Kerrabee	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Pittwater	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Sydney Cataract	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Wollemi	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Wyong	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Yengo	Known	None