# 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.

- **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.

## About

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

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/9b34ac47-9379-44e6-bf05-9f3d3a3f68d5
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/12622
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthochaera carunculata
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/168947883/medium.jpg (Eamonn Culhane, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.