Brown Honeyeater

Brown Honeyeater

Lichmera indistincta

Silhouette: Rachael Joakim · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
at Perth

In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%

5,228 Verified sightings at Perth
1,644 In all 14 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Brown Honeyeater

The brown honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta) is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It belongs to the honeyeaters, a group of birds which have highly developed brush-tipped tongues adapted for nectar feeding. Honeyeaters are found mainly in Australia, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia, but the brown honeyeater is unique in that it also occurs on the island of Bali, making it the only honeyeater to be found west of the Wallace Line, the biogeographical boundary between the Australian-Papuan and Oriental zoogeographical regions.

It is a medium-small brownish bird, with yellow-olive panels in the tail and wing, and a yellow tuft behind the eye. It is widespread across western, northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea and surrounding islands, and the Lesser Sundas of Indonesia. Throughout this range, the brown honeyeater occupies a range of habitats from mangroves to eucalypt woodlands. It is seasonally nomadic within its local area, following flowering food plants. While it usually forages alone, it also feeds in small groups, or flocks of mixed honeyeater species. Nectar and insects form its diet. It occupies the same breeding territory each year, and lays two or three eggs in a cup-shaped nest woven from grass and soft bark. Both sexes contribute to nest building and feeding the young. It has a loud, clear, musical song, described as the best of all the honeyeaters.

While the brown honeyeater is declining in some areas, such as the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, overall its population levels and distribution are sufficient to have it described by the IUCN as being of least concern for conservation. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:07

Australia · 2024

© Tom Cooney · XC1103325 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song1:09

Australia · 2025

© Peter Boesman · XC1066625 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Dawn song1:05

Australia · 2023

© James Lambert · XC791441 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~60%
2 Noosa National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~40%
3 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
4 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
5 Cape Range 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
6 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
7 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
8 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
9 Komodo National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
10 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
11 Rottnest Island 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
12 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
13 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
14 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Perth 🇦🇺 Australia
~60%
2 Brisbane 🇦🇺 Australia
~50%
3 Jakarta 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
4 Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
5 Denpasar 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Brown Honeyeater in Perth?

Likely

About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Honeyeater sighting in Perth on a given day, based on 5,228 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 10th most-seen of the 162 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Brown Honeyeater in Perth?

August and September

In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Honeyeater in Perth on a given day, against about 40% in December to February, the lowest months. Those are among Perth's wettest months, with about 90 mm of rain a month against 10 mm in December.

What time of day is best to see a Brown Honeyeater?

Between 8 and 11 am

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

Is Perth the best place to see a Brown Honeyeater?

Yes

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Brown Honeyeater sightings, Perth has the highest daily chance: about 60%. Next come Brisbane (Australia, about 50%) and Jakarta (Indonesia, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Brown Honeyeater live in Perth?

Same family: Meliphagidae

The closest relatives of the Brown Honeyeater that you can see in Perth (family Meliphagidae, Honeyeaters) are Red Wattlebird (about 90%), Singing Honeyeater (about 70%) and New Holland Honeyeater (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Brown Honeyeater sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Brown Honeyeater is recorded against all the birds logged in Perth (5,228 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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