Australia
SpeciesField NotesLog inDownload

Field notes

Stay in the loop

Get updates, new features, and Australian birding news.

By subscribing, I agree to receive BirdUp Australia updates, new features, and Australian birding news.

Australia
Download for iOSDownload for AndroidSpeciesField NotesRSSNewsletterBrandPrivacyTerms

BirdUp Australia Pty Ltd © 2026. Made in Australia for Australian birders.

  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Meliphagidae
  4. ›
  5. Manorina
  6. ›
  7. Black-eared Miner
Black-eared Miner
Photo · (c) Kym Nicolson, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Black-eared Miner

Manorina melanotis(Wilson, FE, 1911)

Updated 21 March 2026

Conservation status: EndangeredOrigin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Meliphagidae
Genus
Manorina

At a glance

The Black-eared Miner is a medium-sized bird, about 23–26 cm long, listed as Endangered and endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
23–26 cm
Conservation status
Endangered
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Rare
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Black-eared Miner look like?

The Black-eared Miner is a medium-sized bird, about 23–26 cm long and weighing 44–61 g.

The black-eared miner is an endangered honeyeater endemic to mallee woodland in south-eastern Australia.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
23–26 cm
Weight
43.6–61 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

Field tips

behaviour

  • Watch for communal 'wing-quivering' displays where family members flutter their wings simultaneously while perched in close proximity.

plumage

  • Look for an extensive blackish facial mask covering the ear coverts, contrasted against a dark sooty-grey crown and a dusky-grey throat.
  • Observe the rump and uppertail-coverts, which are a uniform dark grey-brown, matching the color of the back.

size_and_shape

  • Note the robust orange-yellow bill and the distinctive, small teardrop-shaped patch of bare yellow skin restricted to just behind the eye.

voice

  • Listen for high-pitched, ringing 'pwee-pwee' calls and harsh, metallic chattering exchanged frequently between colony members.

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Black-eared Miner?

The Black-eared Miner 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 Black-eared Miner eat?

The Black-eared Miner feeds on nectar/pollen and terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

The BirdUp app

Log your next Black-eared Miner in the field

A pocket field journal for 850+ Australian birds. Offline-first, smart ID, and a lifelist that travels with you.

Get the appRead field notes
Spotted something wrong on this page? Report incorrect info

02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Black-eared Miner live in Australia?

The Black-eared Miner is endemic to Australia, recorded across 5 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingSouth-east SA, north-west VIC and south-west NSW

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Vagrant

6 regions recorded