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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Meliphagidae
  4. ›
  5. Melithreptus
  6. ›
  7. Gilbert's Honeyeater
Gilbert's Honeyeater
Photo · John Gould / Henry Constantine Richter

BirdUp · Species

Gilbert's Honeyeater

Melithreptus chloropsisGould, 1848

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Meliphagidae
Genus
Melithreptus

At a glance

The Gilbert's Honeyeater, endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

Gilbert's honeyeater, also known as the Swan River honeyeater or western white-naped honeyeater, is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to southwestern Australia. A mid-sized honeyeater, it is olive-green above and white below, with a black head, nape and throat and a white patch over the eye and a white crescent-shaped patch on the nape. The bill is brownish-black and the eyes a dull red. The sexes have similar plumage.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Gilbert's Honeyeater?

The Gilbert's 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 Gilbert's Honeyeater eat?

The Gilbert's Honeyeater feeds on insects, nectar, manna, honeydew and lerp, usually foraging in forages in tall eucalypt canopy foliage and flowers.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Gilbert's Honeyeater live in Australia?

The Gilbert's Honeyeater is endemic to Australia, recorded across 7 of Australia’s bioregions.

Breeding range
South-west WA (south-west Australia)