Red Wattlebird

Red Wattlebird

Anthochaera carunculata

Silhouette: James Klarevas · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR Endemic
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Brisbane

In 3 days <5%

9 Verified sightings at Brisbane
10,579 In all 11 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Red Wattlebird

The red wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata) is a passerine bird native to southern Australia. At 33–37 cm (13–14+1⁄2 in) in length, it is the second largest species of Australian honeyeater, after the yellow wattlebird. It has mainly grey-brown plumage, with red eyes, distinctive pinkish-red wattles on either side of the neck, white streaks on the chest and a large bright yellow patch on the lower belly. The sexes are similar in plumage. Juveniles have less prominent wattles and browner eyes. John White described the red wattlebird in 1790. Three subspecies are recognized.

The species is found in southeast Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and southwest Western Australia in open forest and woodland, and is a common visitor to urban gardens and parks. Loud and conspicuous, the red wattlebird is generally found in trees, where it gets most of its food; occasionally it forages on the ground. It is one of the largest nectarivorous birds in the world, feeding from a wide variety of flowering plants. Insects also comprise part of its diet. It is territorial and at times aggressive towards birds of other species, often defending rich sources of nectar. Breeding throughout its range, the red wattlebird builds a cup-shaped nest in a tree and raises one or two broods a year. Although it has declined in places from land-clearing, it is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:07

Australia · 2023

© Romuald Mikusek · XC1163878 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:17

Australia · 2021

© Marc Anderson · XC816084 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Begging call0:18

Australia · 2022

© Toby Esplin · XC729319 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~70%
2 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~70%
3 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~70%
4 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~60%
5 Flinders Chase 🇦🇺 Australia
~60%
6 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~50%
7 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~50%
8 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
9 Hattah-Kulkyne National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
10 Flinders Ranges National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
11 Rottnest Island 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Perth 🇦🇺 Australia
~90%
2 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
~70%
3 Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
4 Brisbane 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Red Wattlebird in Brisbane?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red Wattlebird sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 227th most-seen of the 237 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Red Wattlebird in Brisbane?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red Wattlebird in Brisbane on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Red Wattlebird?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red Wattlebird sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Brisbane the best place to see a Red Wattlebird?

4th of 4

Of the 4 cities where we can rate Red Wattlebird sightings, Brisbane ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Perth (Australia, about 90%), Melbourne (Australia, about 70%) and Sydney (Australia, about 30%).

Where does the Red Wattlebird sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Red Wattlebird is recorded against all the birds logged in Brisbane (9 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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