Spotted honeyeater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spotted honeyeater |
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| Illustration by Joseph Smit, 1884 | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Meliphagidae |
| Genus: | Xanthotis |
| Species: |
X. polygrammus
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| Binomial name | |
| Xanthotis polygrammus (G.R. Gray, 1862)
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| Synonyms | |
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The spotted honeyeater is a type of bird from the Meliphagidae family. Its scientific name is Xanthotis polygrammus. These birds are known for their unique spotted look.
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About the Spotted Honeyeater's Name
An English zoologist named George Robert Gray first described the spotted honeyeater in 1862. Its scientific name, Xanthotis polygrammus, comes from old Greek words. Xanthos means "yellow," and polugrammos means "white-streaked." This describes the bird's look!
Different Kinds of Spotted Honeyeaters
There are six known types, or subspecies, of the spotted honeyeater. They live in different areas:
- Xanthonis polygrammus polygrammus - Found on Waigeo island in West Papua.
- Xanthotis polygrammus kuehni - Lives on Misool island, also in West Papua.
- Xanthotis polygrammus poikilosternos - Found on Salawati island and in the mountains of northwest and west New Guinea.
- Xanthotis polygrammus septentrionalis - Lives in the mountains of northern New Guinea. This includes areas from the Mamberamo River east to the Adelbert Mountains.
- Xanthotis polygrammus lophotis - Found in the mountains of the Huon Peninsula and southeast New Guinea.
- Xanthotis polygrammus candidior - Lives in southern New Guinea.
What Does a Spotted Honeyeater Look Like?
This bird is a medium-small honeyeater. It measures about 15 to 17 centimeters (6 to 6.7 inches) long.
Size and Weight
For the lophotis type, male birds weigh between 19.7 to 23.5 grams. Females are a bit lighter, weighing around 18 to 19.5 grams. Males are usually a little larger than females.
Body Features
The spotted honeyeater has a bill that is moderately long and slightly curved. Its head and neck are dark, with white spots on the back of the neck. A pink ring of skin surrounds its eye.
The bird's back is dark with small white spots. Its belly is white with a hint of lime green. It also has dark patterns and spots on its belly. The tail is a mix of brown and gray. The feathers under its wings are white.
It has a white throat, a black bill, and gray legs. Both male and female birds look very similar. The pink skin around its eye and the dark patterns on its body help to easily identify this bird.
Where Spotted Honeyeaters Live
You can find the spotted honeyeater in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. These birds prefer to live in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
What Spotted Honeyeaters Eat
The spotted honeyeater mainly eats insects, worms, and other invertebrates. They search for these foods in the lower parts of the forest, called the understory. This is the area between the ground and about two meters up.
They also eat nectar and fruits, like figs. They find these foods in the upper parts of the forest, known as the canopy. The canopy is where the tops of the trees meet.
Scientists watched these birds in a lowland forest. They saw that 49% of the time, the birds looked for food in the understory. About 37% of the time, they foraged in the upper canopy. They spent less time in the middle layers of the forest.
Spotted honeyeaters usually look for food alone. It is rare to see them foraging in pairs or small groups.
Sounds and Calls
The spotted honeyeater is usually a quiet bird. However, they can become noisy when they are in small groups. Their calls are whistles with two distinct sounds. These sounds are repeated many times. People often describe them as "wu-déé." Sometimes, they also make a "tup" sound that goes down in pitch.
Conservation Status
The spotted honeyeater was checked for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2018. It was listed as "least concern." This means the bird is not currently at risk of disappearing.
The species lives across a very large area. Because of this, it is not close to being considered vulnerable. Even though the exact number of birds is not known, there are no signs that their population is shrinking. The number of spotted honeyeaters seems to be stable.
 | Precious Adams |
 | Lauren Anderson |
 | Janet Collins |
