Red Wattlebird
Anthochaera carunculata
Also known as: Red Wattle Bird
About This Species
A large, noisy honeyeater with a distinctive fleshy red wattle, this species is common in woodland, gardens and flowering eucalypts across southeastern and southwestern Australia. Listen for its harsh, cackling calls before spotting it clambering acrobatically through blossom-laden branches to feed on nectar, along with insects and some fruit. It is present year-round but most conspicuous when eucalypts are in flower, since local movements track blossom availability from season to season.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- This is a bold, adaptable bird that tolerates people well in parks and gardens, so a respectful distance that does not force it to stop feeding is generally sufficient.
- Wild bird protections vary between Australian states and territories, but all generally restrict deliberate harm, nest interference and capture without authorisation, so nests and dependent young should be left undisturbed and viewed from afar.
- Avoid offering processed food, since it can cause nutritional harm and encourage unnaturally large aggregations at feeding sites.
LCAvesPasseriformesMeliphagidae
Seasonal Activity
1,233,501 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Meliphagidae
Photo
(c) Sam Gordon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Sam Gordon
CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.