Lichmera indistincta
Silhouette: Rachael Joakim · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 7 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Komodo National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 10 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Rottnest Island | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Honeyeater sighting in Rottnest Island on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 60th most-seen of the 81 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Honeyeater in Rottnest Island on a given day, against under 5% in November to September, the lowest months.
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.
11th of 14
Of the 14 parks where we can rate Brown Honeyeater sightings, Rottnest Island ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in Nitmiluk National Park (Australia, about 60%), Noosa National Park (Australia, about 40%) and Litchfield National Park (Australia, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Meliphagidae
The closest relatives of the Brown Honeyeater that you can see in Rottnest Island (family Meliphagidae, Honeyeaters) are Singing Honeyeater (about 70%), White-fronted Chat (about 40%) and Red Wattlebird (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Brown Honeyeater is recorded against all the birds logged in Rottnest Island (16 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.
