HoneyeatersHoneyeaters Index Blue-faced Honeyeater Brown Honeyeater Brown-headed Honeyeater Crescent Honeyeater Eastern Spinebill Grey-fronted Honeyeater Grey-headed Honeyeater New Holland Honeyeater Noisy Miner Pied Honeyeater Red Wattlebird Scarlet Honeyeater Singing Honeyeater Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater White-plumed Honeyeater Yellow-throated Miner Yellow-tinted Honeyeater Yellow-tufted Honeyeater

The Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata) is a large and noisy honeyeater, that occurs in a wide range of habitats. The name refers to the reddish-pink wattle on the side of the neck. It has grey-brown plumage on the body, with white streaks across the neck, back and breast. It has yellow on the belly and long tail feather with white tips. The adult bird has black crown, red eye with white patch below. The juvenile of the species are duller then the adult, less defined facial wattles and brown eyes.

Adult has black crown, red eye with white patch below, yellow belly, and streaking across neck, back, and breast. Juvenile is a more uniformly brown, with less defined facial wattles.

Red Wattlebirds are generally seen singly or in small groups, though larger numbers may congregate noisily in trees with abundant flowers, often with other species of honeyeaters and lorikeets. However, occasionally, usually during autumn, when the summer heat has abated, they may form huge mobile flocks which, although they may sometimes comprise hundreds or even thousands of birds, fly silently overhead. These flocks can be seen in the countryside as well as in built-up areas, as the Red Wattlebird commonly occurs in a wide range of habitats.

The Red Wattlebird’s range extends throughout the southern areas of the Australian mainland including New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, south-west Western Australia and south-east Queensland. They occur in woodlands, forests and gardens. They feed on nectar, berries, some insects and honeydew produced by some insects. They are known to be aggressive, guarding food-bearing plants, from other honeyeater species.


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Class: Aves
  • Order: Passeriformes
  • Family: Meliphagidae
  • Genus: Anthochaera
  • Species: Anthochaera carunculata

HoneyeatersHoneyeaters Index Blue-faced Honeyeater Brown Honeyeater Brown-headed Honeyeater Crescent Honeyeater Eastern Spinebill Grey-fronted Honeyeater Grey-headed Honeyeater New Holland Honeyeater Noisy Miner Pied Honeyeater Red Wattlebird Scarlet Honeyeater Singing Honeyeater Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater White-plumed Honeyeater Yellow-throated Miner Yellow-tinted Honeyeater Yellow-tufted Honeyeater