Sharing of habitat by three congeneric honeyeaters

Abstract

Two very similar honeyeaters Phylidonyris nigra and P. novaehollandiae prefer somewhat different habitats and have very different distributions, but in an area of overlap on the central coast of New South Wales both species frequent the same food-plants and may nest in the same habitats. Differences in their use of a common nesting area are not significant, and the species maintain mutually exclusive territories. However, peak-nesting of the birds occurs at different times of the year and the presence of large numbers of nigra nesting in the early spring may reduce the nesting opportunities of novaehollandiae. A third species, P. melanops, also occurs with nigra and novaehollandiae, but it forages differently and nests in a different part of the habitat.