Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters are such noisy, unique looking characters that I often think of them as Cheeky-spined Honeyeaters.
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)
1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 800, focal length 560mm
Canon 5DsR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT
I’ve seen these birds in all kinds of places around the country, generally in dry, inland areas but also at Phillip Island. They are such distinctive birds, absolutely unmistakable for anything else with their bright pink bills dipped in dark grey-blue, and their bright blue eyes. They get their name from their spiny white cheek stripes. The warm buff of their breast blends into boldly striped underparts. They are superb.
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)
1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 800, focal length 560mm
Canon 5DsR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT
In the close-up shot, above, the bright pink, bare skin can be seen extending from the gape to beneath the eye. There’s also a rim of mustard yellow around the eye. They are medium-sized honeyeaters, about 24cm and 52g.
They eat a wide range of foods including nectar and insects, fruit, seeds, small lizards and even eggs and nestlings. It’s surprising how many birds eat birds.
Happy birding
Kim
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