It is a Graceful Honeyeater - if it were a Yellow-spotted, it would have
more prominent striations on the underparts. Bill is more like Graceful
though bill shape and size is not a good field character - there is much
overlap. Having said that, bill of Yellow-spotted is generally slightly
shorter and thicker overall.
Jizz is typical Graceful but not Yellow-spotted which looks bigger and
chunkier. This bird has a "small bird" look. Earspot is small and
typical Graceful though what is written about earspot shape and
difference between the three species in the field guides is quite wrong.
I have all three species coming to a feeding platform at my kitchen
window - which highlights how wrong most of the information in the field
guides is! Best field characters for determining the difference between
the three, other than call, is near lack of striations on the underparts
of Graceful and a "small bird" look; blue eye and grey lores in Lewin's
and noticeable striations on the underparts; brown eye, striations on
the underparts and lack of grey lores in Yellow-spotted. Earspot shape,
bill size etc does not work. Graceful has a dark navy-blue eye in adults
(often difficult to determine) but brown in juveniles.
Lloyd Nielsen.
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