Anthochaera carunculata
Silhouette: James Klarevas · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Flinders Chase | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Rottnest Island | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Red Wattlebird sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 29,433 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 6th most-seen of the 236 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August to November
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Red Wattlebird in Melbourne on a given day, against about 60% in February and March, the lowest months.
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.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Red Wattlebird sightings, Melbourne ranks 2nd at about 70%. The best odds are in Perth (Australia, about 90%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red Wattlebird is recorded against all the birds logged in Melbourne (29,433 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.
