Bridled honeyeater | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Meliphagidae |
Genus: | Bolemoreus |
Species: | B. frenatus |
Binomial name | |
Bolemoreus frenatus (Ramsay, 1875) |
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Synonyms | |
Lichenostomus frenatus |
Lichenostomus frenatus
The bridled honeyeater (Bolemoreus frenatus) is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to northeastern Queensland. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist upland forests and subtropical or tropical rainforests, usually above 400 meters. In winter it descends to lower forests including mangroves and can sometimes be seen in more open habitats.
Bridled honeyeaters feed on nectar from the mistletoes, climbing pandans and the umbrella tree. They also eat beetles and other insects, generally from the mid strata of the rainforest. During the breeding season, these birds can be quite aggressive, often attacking one another.
The bridled honeyeater was previously placed in the genus Lichenostomus but was moved to Bolemoreus after a molecular phylogenetic analysis published in 2011 showed that the original genus was polyphyletic.