Strong-billed Honeyeater
Strong-billed HoneyeaterStrong-billed HoneyeaterStrong-billed Honeyeater

Strong-billed Honeyeater

Melithreptus validirostris

Silhouette: Rachael Joakim · PhyloPic

LCNTVUVulnerableENCR Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

93 Verified sightings at Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park From 2019 to 2026
143 In all 2 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Strong-billed Honeyeater

The strong-billed honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is one of two species of the genus Melithreptus endemic to Tasmania. Its natural habitat is temperate forest. The strong-billed honeyeater was first described by ornithologist John Gould in 1837. Its specific name is derived from the Latin words validus 'strong', and rostrum 'bill'. It is a member of the genus Melithreptus, with several species of similar size and (apart from the brown-headed honeyeater) black-headed appearance, in the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae. Molecular markers show that the strong-billed honeyeater separated from the common ancestor of the brown-headed and black-chinned honeyeaters between 6.7 and 3.4 million years ago.

The next closest relative outside the genus is the much larger, but similarly marked, blue-faced honeyeater. More recently, DNA analysis has shown honeyeaters to be related to the Pardalotidae (pardalotes), Acanthizidae (Australian warblers, scrubwrens, thornbills, etc.), and the Maluridae (Australian fairy-wrens) in the large superfamily Meliphagoidea.

A mid-sized honeyeater at 16.5–17.5 cm (6.5–7 in... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:36

Australia · 2023

© Peter Boesman · XC859961 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:17

Australia · 2020

© Marc Anderson · XC673995 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Flight call0:07

Australia · 2020

© Ramit Singal · XC572509 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
2 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hobart 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Closest Relatives at Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park

Black-headed Honeyeater
LC Endemic

Black-headed Honeyeater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melithreptus affinis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Crescent Honeyeater
LC Endemic

Crescent Honeyeater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Yellow Wattlebird
LC Endemic

Yellow Wattlebird

🌙 Nocturnal Bird

Anthochaera paradoxa

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Yellow-throated Honeyeater
LC Endemic

Yellow-throated Honeyeater

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Nesoptilotis flavicollis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Eastern Spinebill
LC Endemic

Eastern Spinebill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
New Holland Honeyeater
LC Endemic

New Holland Honeyeater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phylidonyris novaehollandiae

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Little Wattlebird
LC Endemic

Little Wattlebird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anthochaera chrysoptera

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Black Currawong
LC Endemic

Black Currawong

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Strepera fuliginosa

Daily sighting probability >90% · Very likely
Tasmanian Scrubwren
LC Endemic

Tasmanian Scrubwren

🌙 Nocturnal Bird

Sericornis humilis

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Tasmanian Thornbill
LC Endemic

Tasmanian Thornbill

🌙 Nocturnal Bird

Acanthiza ewingii

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Welcome Swallow
LC

Welcome Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hirundo neoxena

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Pink Robin
LC Endemic

Pink Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Petroica rodinogaster

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Strong-billed Honeyeater in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Strong-billed Honeyeater sighting in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park on a given day, based on 93 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 25th most-seen of the 49 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Strong-billed Honeyeater in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park?

April

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Strong-billed Honeyeater in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park on a given day, against about 10% in January, July–August and October–November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Strong-billed Honeyeater?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Strong-billed Honeyeater sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park the best place to see a Strong-billed Honeyeater?

Yes

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Strong-billed Honeyeater sightings, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Maria Island National Park (Australia, about 10%).

Where does the Strong-billed Honeyeater sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Strong-billed Honeyeater is recorded against all the birds logged in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park (93 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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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