Red Wattlebird
Anthochaera carunculata
Their distinctive red wattles are actually fleshy, featherless lobes of skin that wiggle when they call, becoming brighter during the breeding season.
- Scientific name
- Anthochaera carunculata
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Meliphagidae › Anthochaera
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Eucalypt forests, woodlands, coastal scrub, and urban parks or gardens.
- Diet
- Primarily nectar, but also feeds on insects, berries, honeydew, and sap.
- Range
- Southern Australia, Eastern Australia, Tasmania
- Size
- 32-37 cm length, 100-120 g weight
- Lifespan
- 10-15 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, collision with windows, and predation by domestic and feral cats.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans, though they can be highly territorial and may swoop during the breeding season. Maintain a respectful distance of 5-10 meters. If swooped, walk away calmly and protect your head; do not run or wave your arms. In the unlikely event of a scratch, wash the area with soap and water.
The red wattlebird ( Anthochaera carunculata ) is a passerine bird native to southern Australia. At 33–37 cm (13–14 1⁄2 in) in length, it is the second largest species of Australian honeyeater. It has mainly grey-brown plumage, with red eyes, distinctive pinkish-red wattles on either side of the neck, white streaks on the chest and a large bright yellow patch on the lower belly. The sexes are similar in plumage. Juveniles have less prominent wattles and browner eyes. John White described
Photo: Eamonn Culhane, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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