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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Meliphagidae
  4. ›
  5. Myzomela
  6. ›
  7. Red-headed Myzomela
Red-headed Myzomela
Photo · Forbes, 1879

BirdUp · Species

Red-headed Myzomela

Myzomela erythrocephalaGould, 1840

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Meliphagidae
Genus
Myzomela

At a glance

The Red-headed Myzomela is a tiny bird, about 10–13 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
10–13 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Red-headed Myzomela look like?

The Red-headed Myzomela is a tiny bird, about 10–13 cm long and weighing 6–11 g.

The red-headed myzomela or red-headed honeyeater is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It was described by John Gould in 1840. Two subspecies are recognised, with the nominate race M. e. erythrocephala distributed around the tropical coastline of Australia, and M. e. infuscata in New Guinea. Though widely distributed, the species is not abundant within this range. While the IUCN lists the Australian population of M. e. infuscata as being near threatened, as a whole the widespread range means that its conservation is of least concern.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
10–13 cm
Weight
6–11 g
Wingspan
17 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Red-headed Myzomela?

The Red-headed Myzomela 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 Red-headed Myzomela eat?

The Red-headed Myzomela feeds on nectar/pollen and terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Red-headed Myzomela live in Australia?

The Red-headed Myzomela is native to Australia, recorded across 19 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingCoastal south New Guinea and north Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Passage
  • Vagrant
  • Resident

5 regions recorded