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Regent honeyeater Facts

Regent honeyeater Facts
Regent honeyeater is small bird that belongs to the family of honeyeaters. It can be found only in Australia (New South Wales and Victoria). Regent honeyeater inhabits open box-ironbark forests, woodlands and fertile areas near the creeks and river valleys. 85% of natural habitats of regent honeyeaters has been already destroyed, resulting in drastic decline in the number of birds in the wild. Regent honeyeater is classified as critically endangered (remaining population consists of less than 1.200 birds). Preservation of remaining habitat is the only way to prevent extinction of regent honeyeaters from the wild.
Interesting Regent honeyeater Facts:
Regent honeyeater can reach 8 to 10 inches in length. Females are slightly smaller than males.
Regent honeyeater has black head and neck, light yellow chest and creamy-colored belly. Wings are black colored and covered with brilliant yellow patches. Tip and lateral sides of black tail are covered with yellow feathers.
Regent honeyeater has large, black-colored, slightly curved bill, long tongue and bare, bumpy skin around eyes. It has slender body, narrow, pointed wings and strong legs equipped with sharp claws.
Regent honeyeater spends most of its life in the trees (arboreal animal).
Regent honeyeater is an omnivore (mixed diet, based on plants and animals). Nectar, extracted from the flowers of various types of eucalyptus, represents the most important source of food. Regent honeyeater supplements its diet with insects and sugary liquid (which some insects secrete) at the end of the flowering season. It often eats positioned upside-down (it hangs from the branches).
Regent honeyeaters gather in flocks of around 30 birds when eucalyptus trees are in bloom. Flocks are territorial and aggressive toward intruders.
Regent honeyeater plays important role in the pollination of many eucalyptus species.
Regent honeyeaters occasionally gather in flocks with wattlebirds and friarbirds during the winter and frequently mimic calls of these (closely related) types of birds.
Mating season of regent honeyeaters takes place from August to January. Mating season reaches peak during September and October, when eucalyptus trees are in bloom and food is abundant.
Regent honeyeaters mate for a lifetime (monogamous birds) and aggressively defend their territories. They build nests in the same areas each year.
Regent honeyeaters construct cup-shaped nests made of bark, grass and spider webs. Nests are located high above the ground, in the crown of eucalyptus tree.
Female lays 2 to 3 eggs that hatch after 12 to 15 days. Only female takes part in the incubation of eggs.
Both parents collect food for their chicks. Young birds are ready to leave the nest at the age of 13 to 17 days. Independent life starts usually 3 to 4 weeks after fledging.
Regent honeyeaters reach sexual maturity at the age of one year.
Regent honeyeater can survive around 10 years in the wild.


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