Ptilotula penicillata
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
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 |
Very likely
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a White-plumed Honeyeater sighting in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park on a given day, based on 595 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 84 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and July
In those months over 90% of wildlife watchers report a White-plumed Honeyeater in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park on a given day, against about 70% in January, the lowest month. Those are among Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 65 mm in January.
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.
Yes
Of the 9 parks where we can rate White-plumed Honeyeater sightings, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park has the highest daily chance: about 90%. Next come Flinders Ranges National Park (Australia, about 30%) and Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-plumed Honeyeater is recorded against all the birds logged in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (595 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.
