Anthochaera carunculata
Silhouette: James Klarevas · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red Wattlebird sighting in Rottnest Island on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 53rd most-seen of the 81 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–April, June, August and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red Wattlebird in Rottnest Island on a given day, against under 5% in January, May, July and September–November, 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.
11th of 11
Of the 11 parks where we can rate Red Wattlebird sightings, Rottnest Island ranks 11th at about 10%. The best odds are in Grampians National Park (Australia, about 70%), Great Otway National Park (Australia, about 70%) and Wilsons Promontory National Park (Australia, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Meliphagidae
The closest relatives of the Red Wattlebird that you can see in Rottnest Island (family Meliphagidae, Honeyeaters) are Singing Honeyeater (about 70%) and White-fronted Chat (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red Wattlebird is recorded against all the birds logged in Rottnest Island (23 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.
