The breeding biology of the Crescent Honeyeater Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera at Wilsons Promontory, Victoria

The breeding biology of the Crescent Honeyeater Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera wa s studied between 1994-98 (intensively in 1996 and 1997) at Wilsons Promont ory National Park. Crescent Honeyeaters commonly occurred in wet forest and dry forest habitats, but were uncommon in Saw Banksia woodland and rarely observed in closed heathland. They were found to breed only in wet forest h abitats. Pairs were present at a study site in wet forest on Mt Oberon thro ughout the year, whereas a pair that bred in a King Fern swamp in two succe ssive breeding seasons appeared to abandon the site in between bouts of bre eding. The breeding season, extending over three months, appears unusually short for an Australian honeyeater. Within that period some pairs were mult i-brooded (i.e. re-nested after a successful breeding attempt). The breedin g biology of the Crescent Honeyeater was found to be generally similar to t hat reported for other honeyeaters in spite of marked sexual dichromatism a nd dimorphism (clutch size 2.8 +/- 0.4 eggs, n = 28 clutches, incubation pe riod 13.2 +/- 0.2 days, n = 5 clutches, nestling period 13.0 days, n = 9 cl utches). The plumage of nestlings was found to be sexually dichromatic. Fle dglings of both sexes were re-sighted at the natal site in subsequent years .