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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Meliphagidae
  4. ›
  5. Glycichaera
  6. ›
  7. Green-backed Honeyeater
Green-backed Honeyeater
Photo · John Gould

BirdUp · Species

Green-backed Honeyeater

Glycichaera fallaxSalvadori, 1878

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Meliphagidae
Genus
Glycichaera

At a glance

The Green-backed Honeyeater is a tiny bird, about 12–13 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
12–13 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Local
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Green-backed Honeyeater look like?

The Green-backed Honeyeater is a tiny bird, about 12–13 cm long and weighing 8–18 g.

The green-backed honeyeater is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is monotypic within the genus Glycichaera. It is found in the Aru Islands, New Guinea and northern Cape York Peninsula. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
12–13 cm
Weight
7.5–18 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Green-backed Honeyeater?

The Green-backed 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 Green-backed Honeyeater eat?

The Green-backed Honeyeater feeds on fruit, nectar/pollen and terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

3 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Green-backed Honeyeater live in Australia?

The Green-backed Honeyeater is native to Australia, recorded across 2 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingNew Guinea and east-central Cape York Pen. (north-east Australia)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Vagrant
  • Resident

4 regions recorded