Australian Honeyeaters: Meliphagidae

All Australian honeyeaters eat nectar and invertebrates (animals without a backbone), especially insects. They regularly fly to native and exotic flowers. They also eat honeydew (a sticky substance from bugs, called lerp) and sap from trees. Smaller sized Australian honeyeaters consume tiny insects captured in flight, as well as caterpillars and beetles taken from foliage. Species with extra-strong bills probe beneath bark for insects and honeydew. Infrequently eaten foods are spiders, crustaceans (hard-shelled creatures), and small lizards. Some of the largest species eat eggs and nestlings (young birds unable to leave the nest) of other birds. In wetter climates, fruits are a major part of the diet.