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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Meliphagidae
  4. ›
  5. Xanthotis
  6. ›
  7. Tawny-breasted Honeyeater
Tawny-breasted Honeyeater
Photo · John Gould

BirdUp · Species

Tawny-breasted Honeyeater

Xanthotis flaviventer(Lesson, RP, 1828)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Meliphagidae
Genus
Xanthotis

At a glance

The Tawny-breasted Honeyeater is a small bird, about 18–21 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
18–21 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Local
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Tawny-breasted Honeyeater look like?

The Tawny-breasted Honeyeater is a small bird, about 18–21 cm long and weighing 27–55 g.

The tawny-breasted honeyeater is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
18–21 cm
Weight
26.5–55 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Tawny-breasted Honeyeater?

The Tawny-breasted 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 Tawny-breasted Honeyeater eat?

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

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

5 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Tawny-breasted Honeyeater live in Australia?

The Tawny-breasted Honeyeater is native to Australia, recorded across 3 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingNew Guinea and satellites, and north-east Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Vagrant

3 regions recorded