Bridled honeyeater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bridled honeyeater |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Bolemoreus
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| Species: |
frenatus
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| Synonyms | |
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Lichenostomus frenatus |
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The bridled honeyeater is a special kind of bird found only in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It belongs to the honeyeater family. This bird gets its name from the cool, rein-like markings on its face.
You can usually find it in warm, wet rainforests and other forests high up in the mountains, often above 300 meters (about 980 feet). When winter comes, some of these birds fly down to lower forests, even near the coast in mangroves.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The bridled honeyeater is a medium to large bird with a somewhat dark, dusty look. It has a white area at the corner of its mouth, called a gape, and a bill (beak) that has two different colors.
Its eye is blue, with a yellow line just below it and a white line behind it. It also has a yellow fluffy patch near its ear and a big, white-grey patch on the side of its neck.
Its Name and Family
The scientific name for the bridled honeyeater is Bolemoreus frenatus. It was first named Ptilotis frenata in 1874 by E.P. Ramsay. Over time, its scientific name changed a few times as scientists learned more about birds.
This bird, along with the Eungella honeyeater, used to be in a group called Lichenostomus. But in 2011, scientists used special tests to study their DNA. These tests showed that the old group wasn't quite right. So, the bridled honeyeater was moved to a new group, or genus, called Bolemoreus. All honeyeaters belong to the bird family called Meliphagidae.
How It Got Its Name
The name Bolemoreus was created in 2011. It honors two Australian bird experts, Walter Boles and N. Wayne Longmore. The second part of its name, frenatus, comes from a Latin word meaning "bridle" or "reins." This refers to the markings on the bird's face that look a bit like the reins used to guide a horse.
Where It Lives and What It Does
The bridled honeyeater lives in the high rainforests and wet eucalypt forests of northeast Queensland, Australia. You'll usually find them above 300 meters (about 980 feet) in places like the Atherton region. Their home range stretches from the Bloomfield area down to Mt Spec.
Some of these birds fly to lower areas during the winter months. Scientists believe there are many bridled honeyeaters, and their numbers seem to be steady. There are no major threats to them right now.
When trees are full of fruit or flowers, these honeyeaters might gather in big, noisy groups. But usually, they prefer to be alone and can be hard to spot.
Gallery
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Julatten, north Queensland, Australia.
See also
In Spanish: Mielero embridado para niños
