Wattled honeyeater

Foulehaio carunculatus

(Photo from Zoochat)

Common name:

wattled honeyeater (en); melífago-foulehaio (pt); méliphage foulehaio (fr); mielero foulehaio (es); schuppenkopf-honigfresser (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Meliphagidae

Range:

This species is found in the Pacific archipelagos of Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga and Wallis and Futuna.

Size:

These birds are 19-21 cm long and weigh 25-45 g.

Habitat:

The wattled honeyeater is mostly found in moist tropical forests, but also uses a wide range of other habitats, including mangroves, coastal forests, second growths, rural gardens and urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.900 m.

Diet:

They feed mainly on nectar, but also take various arthropods, including adult and larval insects, and spiders.

Breeding:

Wattled honeyeaters can breed all year round. The nest is woven cup made of grasses, usually well-hidden within the foliage of a tree, where the female lays 1-2 eggs. There is no information regarding the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:

IUCN status – LC (Least Concern)

This species has a relatively large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 1-2,5 million individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to competition with introduced bird species.