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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Meliphagidae
  4. ›
  5. Gavicalis
  6. ›
  7. Varied Honeyeater
Varied Honeyeater
Photo · no rights reserved

BirdUp · Species

Varied Honeyeater

Gavicalis versicolor(Gould, 1843)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Meliphagidae
Genus
Gavicalis

At a glance

The Varied Honeyeater is a medium-sized bird, about 19–24 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
19–24 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Varied Honeyeater look like?

The Varied Honeyeater is a medium-sized bird, about 19–24 cm long.

The varied honeyeater is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is found in coastal areas of New Guinea and eastern Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
19–24 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Varied Honeyeater?

The Varied 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 Varied Honeyeater eat?

The Varied Honeyeater feeds on fruit, nectar/pollen, terrestrial invertebrates and intertidal invertebrates, usually foraging in flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

5 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Varied Honeyeater live in Australia?

The Varied Honeyeater is native to Australia, recorded across 7 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingCoastal New Guinea and north-east Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Passage
  • Vagrant
  • Resident

5 regions recorded