Yellow Throated Miner

The Yellow-throated Miner is a medium-sized honeyeater, grey above from the crown to the tail, pale grey below with light brown scalloping on the breast to the white rump, with a black face, distinctive yellow forehead and sides of throat. The bare eye skin, bill, legs and feet are also yellow. The wings and tail edges are washed yellow, and the tail tips are white. This species is noisy and sociable, and may be aggressive towards other birds.

The Yellow-throated Miner is very similar to the Noisy Miner but has a grey rather than black crown, a white rump, and a yellow forehead and throat. The rare and endangered Black-eared Miner is so similar that it is hard to distinguish in the field, but it is extremely restricted in its distribution, while the Yellow-throated Miner is widespread.

The Yellow-throated Miner is found across mainland Australia, with the exception of the east coast south of central Queensland, Arnhemland and western Gulf of Carpentia, Cape York or the most arid parts of the interior.

The Yellow-throated Miner is found in dry forests and woodlands, especially mallee. It is also seen in parks, gardens and farmlands.

The Yellow-throated Miner feeds on insects, nectar, berries and fruit, foraging at all levels of the canopy and on the ground. It usually forages in noisy flocks.

The Yellow-faced Miner breeds communally and breeding pairs are often assisted by other members of the group. The loose, cup-shaped nest is built in a tree fork about 3 m to 6 m from the ground and is constructed from twigs and grasses, lined with wool, fur or feathers.