- Manorina melanocephala
Identification
Photo taken: Sydney, Australia
The Noisy Miner is a bold and curious bird. It is identified by its mostly grey body and black crown and cheeks. The bill is yellow, as are the legs and the naked skin behind the eye. The name is well suited as the common calls - loud 'pwee pwee pwee' and a piping 'pee pee pee' when alarmed - are uttered repeatedly by the members of the colony.
Despite their moderate size (28 cm), Noisy Miners aggressively attack larger birds such as hawks and kookaburras. These attacks may be so vigorous that most other birds are excluded from an area occupied by Noisy Miners.
The similar Yellow-throated Miner, M. flavigula, has a grey crown, white rump, and a line of bare yellow skin on the sides of the throat.
People often confuse miners with the introduced Common Myna, Acridotheres tristis. The Common Myna is quite different in plumage (mostly dark brown) and, although it has similar facial markings, belongs to the starling family, while the miners are honeyeaters.
Distribution
Noisy Miners range from northern Queensland along the eastern coast to South Australia and Tasmania.
