Blue-faced Honeyeater

The Blue-faced Honeyeater is one of the many birds of the honeyeater family, which is widely found across New Guinea and the northern and eastern coastal areas of Australia. The bird is what is known as a passerine – essentially perching birds that are usually also songbirds. Passerines tend to be relatively small in size and have several other distinctive characteristics relating to their physical structure, feathers, and behavior. The Blue-faced Honeyeater itself is among the larger honeyeaters, and gets its name from a unique patch of blue skin that is visible around the eyes. The bird is otherwise black, with a white stripe across the back of the neck. The underside of the bird is white, and there may be a greenish color to the bird’s wings and back. Young Blue-faced Honeyeaters are not always recognized as such, because instead of blue, the patches of skin around the eyes are a greenish yellow in color. The head may also be dark brown in color, rather than black.

The Blue-faced Honeyeater lives in a wide variety of habitats, but generally prefers wetter land. Mangroves, open woodland, and tropical forests are its favorite habitat, but it is also often found in parks and gardens, as well as in orchards and banana plantations. The bird is in fact quite fond of banana fruit and flowers, which is why it is sometimes known as the Banana Bird. In addition, it also feeds on the fruit and nectar of other local plants, and hunts insects. Insects are in fact the main component of the Blue-faced Honeyeater’s diet.

Blue-faced Honeyeaters are rather noisy birds, with a varied and interesting assortment of calls, ranging from chirps to squeaks. They are inquisitive and relatively unafraid of humans, which is why, in addition to orchards and plantations, they are often also found in public parks and camp sites. One interesting fact about these birds is that when breeding, not only do both the male and the female work together to feed the young, but other Blue-faced Honeyeaters may also pitch in to help with this task. A pair of Blue-faced Honeyeaters will usually lay two eggs, and after the chicks hatch, they usually stay with the parents for a considerable period of time. The Blue-faced Honeyeater is not a migratory bird, and stays in the same location throughout the year. In certain parts of Australia, some seasonal movement has been noticed, but this is local and involves rather small distances.