Ptilotula penicillata
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The white-plumed honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata, formerly Lichenostomus penicillatus) is a medium-sized passerine of the family Meliphagidae (honeyeaters) endemic to mainland Australia. Its key identifying characteristics are a primarily olive-grey body and yellow face, a slightly down-curved bill and its white distal neck-plumes from which it takes its name. White-Plumed Honeyeaters exhibit a preference for woodlands and riparian areas and have a very strong association with River Red Gums. They exhibit a small seasonal migration from ranges to lower areas in winter. Today the species is most commonly seen through Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales, but is also found in regions of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. They are often seen in gardens and backyards with vegetation cover.
Honeyeaters are most diverse group of passerine birds on continental Australia and the White-plumed honeyeater is one of the most common honeyeaters of urban areas throughout much of Australia. The first formal description of Ptilotula penicillata was by John Gould in 1837 who named it Lichenostomus penicillatus and placed it within the Ptilotula group within the Meliphagidae... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alice Springs Desert Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-plumed Honeyeater sighting in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park on a given day, based on 206 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 69th most-seen of the 170 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.
January–February, April–June, September and November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a White-plumed Honeyeater in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park on a given day, against about 10% in March, July–August, October and December, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-plumed Honeyeater sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate White-plumed Honeyeater sightings, Hattah-Kulkyne National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Australia, about 90%) and Flinders Ranges National Park (Australia, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-plumed Honeyeater is recorded against all the birds logged in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (206 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.
