Alternative names: Kandavu Honeyeater; Provocator Honeyeater; Yellow-faced Honeyeater; Yellow-faced Xanthotis
- Xanthotis provocator
Identification
16 - 21 cm (6¼-8¼ in). A medium-sized, drab honeyeater.
- Pale yellowish to golden-yellow area around the eye
- Blackish malar stripe under yellow area and blackish area around lores
- Olive-grey rest of head
- Drab olive-grey upperparts with some fine white streaking on mantle, back and scapulars
- Paler olive-grey underparts, broadly streaked white, merging into whitish vent
- Black bill, moderately long and gently decurved
Sexes similar, male larger than female. Juveniles similar but strongly tinged yellowish-olive.
Distribution
Endemic to the island of Kadavu, Fiji.
A restricted-range species, very common in its tiny range.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Placed in genus Meliphacator by Clements.
Habitat
Found in a wide range of habitats like lowland forest, montane forest, secondary forest, coastal scrub and mangroves and agricultural land. Also in settlements and urban habitat.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on nectar, insects and spiders.
Breeding
Not well known. Breeding recorded in May and September. The nest is a fragile cup made of rootlets and fine grasses, lined with soft material. Lays one egg.
Movements
Presumably a sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2015. IOC World Bird Names (version 5.3). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2015)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Kadavu Honeyeater. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Kadavu_Honeyeater