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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Meliphagidae
  4. ›
  5. Cissomela
  6. ›
  7. Banded Honeyeater
Banded Honeyeater
Photo · Gould, 1841

BirdUp · Species

Banded Honeyeater

Cissomela pectoralis(Gould, 1841)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Meliphagidae
Genus
Cissomela

At a glance

The Banded Honeyeater is a tiny bird, about 11–14 cm long, endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
11–14 cm
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Banded Honeyeater look like?

The Banded Honeyeater is a tiny bird, about 11–14 cm long and weighing 7–13 g.

The banded honeyeater is a species of honeyeater in the family Meliphagidae with a characteristic narrow black band across its white underparts. It is endemic to tropical northern Australia.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
11–14 cm
Weight
7.2–13 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Banded Honeyeater?

The Banded Honeyeater is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Banded Honeyeater eat?

The Banded Honeyeater feeds on nectar/pollen and terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

3 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Banded Honeyeater live in Australia?

The Banded Honeyeater is endemic to Australia, recorded across 29 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingNorth-east WA to Cape York Pen., north-east QLD (north-central to north-east Australia)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Vagrant
  • Resident

7 regions recorded