Alternative names: Mimic Meliphaga; Yellow-spotted Meliphaga; Mimetic Honeyeater; Allied Honeyeater; Yellow-spotted Honeyeater (not to be confused with Meliphaga notata)
- Meliphaga analoga
Identification
15.5-19.5 cm 6.1-7.7 inches 18.5–30 g (male) 18–24 g (female)
- Brownish-olive upperparts, browner on top of head
- Blackish-olive lores and vaguely diffuse streak running through eye to above ear-coverts
- Yellow patch on lower ear-coverts
- Yellow to orange-yellow gape merges with narrow pale yellow rital streak
- Dark brown upperwing-coverts and alula with yellowish-olive outer edges or fringes, dark brown remiges with yellowish-olive outer edges and pale yellowish inner edges
- Dark brown tail with yellowish-olive outer edges
- Pale greyish-yellow underparts, sometimes with light grey-brown wash on side of breast
- Pale olive-yellow underwing-coverts
- Black bill
- Sexes similar
- The male is slightly larger than the female
- Juveniles thought to be paler than adults
Similar species
Very similar to Graceful Honeyeater but Mimic Honeyeater is slightly larger, has a slightly longer and less slender bill, less dusky side of head and less buff in underwing-coverts.
Distribution
Endemic to New Guinea and some adjacent islands.
Common in its range.
Taxonomy
Three to five subspecies recognized:[1]
- M. a. papuae:
- Southern New Guinea (Fly River to Hall Sound) - included in analoga by some authorities
- M. a. analoga:
- Southern New Guinea and western Papuan islands
- M. a. longirostris: Beak slightly longer
- M. a. flavida: Male 18–28.7 g, female 17.8–26 g, brighter yellow green upperparts, more yellow underparts, iris more grey
- Lowlands of northern New Guinea, Yapen Island and Meos Num Island
- M. a. connectens:
- Lowlands of northern New Guinea (Wewak to Huon Gulf) - included in flavida by some authorities
Habitat
Forest, mangrove forest and montanes. Also in coffee plantations and gardens.
Occurs from sea-level up to 1450 m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on insects, fruit, seeds and nectar from flowering trees.
Forages singly, in pairs or small groups (often together with other Honeyeaters) in lower and middle storeys of forest.
Breeding
Breeding birds recorded from August to December and March to May.
Breeding biology poorly known.
Movements
Probably sedentary, with some local movements.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2008. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 13: Penduline-tits to Shrikes. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553453
- Avibase
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved November 2015)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Mimic Honeyeater. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Mimic_Honeyeater
