Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

Following images are of the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis) feeding on nectar flowers from the Corkwood Hakea at Kata Tjuta (Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park).

Quite a common bird throughout Australia, except for the far north, southern tip of Western Australia and Tasmania, the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater is common in the arid interior. This is a nomadic bird, although they can be seen in pairs or small flocks.

The adult Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater is recognised by the pale pink bill, white cheeks with fine spiny feathers that extend back from the cheeks onto the sides of the neck. The throat and upper breast is a soft cinnamon buff colour, almost yellowish under certain light. It can be heard singing in a clear, piping, melancholic notes, repetitive and musical.

Check out our Fauna Index section for Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Meliphagidae
Genus: Acanthagenys
Species: A. rufogularis
Binomial name: Acanthagenys rufogularis