Changes in the Migratory Direction of Yellow-faced HoneyeatersLichenostomus chrysops(Meliphagidae) during Autumn Migration

Abstract

Yellow-faced Honeyeaters Lichenostomus chrysops are well known diurnal migrants in eastern Australia. Each year, large flocks move northward during autumn and early winter. Despite an intensive banding effort (Pur- chase 1985), neither the exact routes nor the location of the wintering areas have been identified with certainty. Numerous observations, however, allow at least a rough estimate of the course of their migration. Large flocks of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters flying north-east have been observed in the Canberra region (Davey et al. 1984) and at various locations along the east coast and adjacent ranges of New South Wales (Hindwood 1948; Hindwood 1956; Liddy 1966). Only limited records are available from Queensland. In May and June, Robertson (1958) observed Yellow- faced Honeyeaters migrating on a north-westerly course over East Brisbane (2730'S, 153E). Members of this species have also been found further north in eastern Queensland between 26s and 19s. Blakers et al. (1984) suggested that most of them are migrants, as there are no breeding records of the species in that region. A proba- bly isolated breeding population of the Yellow-faced Honeyeater also occurs in the Atherton region (17S, 145E) of north Queensland (Gill 1970; Blakers et al. 1984). Bravery (1970) reported that numbers increased between May and July in this region, indicating an influx of migrating birds to the local population. Taken together, these observations suggest that the main stream of migration follows the