Little wattlebird

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Little wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera), also known as the brush wattlebird, is a medium to large honeyeater found along the coastal and sub-coastal areas of southeastern Australia. It is listed as Least Concern.

Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Meliphagidae
- Genus: Anthochaera
- Species: chrysoptera
- Binomial name: Anthochaera chrysoptera (Latham, 1801)

Name and origins
- The genus name Anthochaera comes from Greek words meaning “flower-loving,” and chrysoptera means “golden wing.”

Subspecies
- The International Ornithologists’ Union recognizes three subspecies, including the western wattlebird (A. lunulata), which was once considered a subspecies of this bird.

Appearance
- The little wattlebird is smaller than other wattlebirds, and it lacks wattles that other members have.
- It looks similar to the yellow and red wattlebirds.
- Juveniles are duller with less streaking and a browner eye.

Calls
- Its calls include a strident cookay-cok, a noisy fetch the gun, a mellow guttural yekkop, and many squeaky, musical notes.
- The alarm call sounds like kwock or shnairt.

Habitat
- Found in banksia and eucalypt woodlands, heathlands, tea-tree scrub, sandplain-heaths, lantana thickets, wild tobacco, parks, and gardens.

Breeding
- Breeding season is from June to December.
- The female builds a loose, untidy cup nest of twigs, lined with shredded bark, 1 to 10 meters high in forks of trees.
- She lays 1–2 eggs, which can be red-brown, purplish-red, or salmon-pink.
- The female incubates the eggs, while both parents care for the chicks after they hatch.

Diet and feeding
- Little wattlebirds feed mainly on nectar, using a long brush-tipped tongue to reach deep into flowers.
- They also eat insects, berries, and some seeds.
- Most feeding is done while perched, though they sometimes catch insects in flight; they may feed alone or in small groups.