Western Wattlebird
Anthochaera lunulata
The Western Wattlebird (Anthochaera lunulata) is a rare honeyeater found only in Australia, weighing about 62 g. The western wattlebird is a passerine bird in the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae.
About the Western Wattlebird
The western wattlebird is a passerine bird in the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae. It is restricted to south-western Australia.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The adult western wattlebird has dark grey-brown upper-parts with pale streaks and spots. It has a dark brown forehead, crown and nape, streaked with fine, whitish shafts. Underparts are dark grey, streaked and tipped white. It has a blackish-brown streak bordering the eye, and has a red iris. A large honeyeater, it is long and slender. A sample of both sexes recorded sizes of 29–33 centimetres in length, 65–78 grams in weight for the males; and 27–30 cm and 47–57 g for the females. The weight range for unsexed birds is 45.5–83 grams.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Western Wattlebird can be seen all year round, with peak activity in September. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Western Wattlebird?
- The adult western wattlebird has dark grey-brown upper-parts with pale streaks and spots. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Western Wattlebird?
- The Western Wattlebird is a medium sized bird weighing about 62 g.
- Where can you see a Western Wattlebird?
- The Western Wattlebird is endemic to Australia, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Western Wattlebird?
- The Western Wattlebird is most easily confused with the Regent Honeyeater, the Yellow Wattlebird and the Little Wattlebird.
- Is the Western Wattlebird endangered?
- The Western Wattlebird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Western Wattlebird for real
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