220 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ORNITHOLOGIST, 29

SIGHTING OF A PAINTED IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S LOWER NORTH KEN WOODCOCK

The Painted Honeyeater Grantiella picta is Red Wattlebirds Anthochaera carunculata, the known from South Australia on the basis of latter feeding young out of the nest. After fly­ two records: one from near Bool Lagoon in the ing off in a westerly direction, the Painted South-East and one from the Strzelecki Track Honeyeater was not seen again. in the North-East. There is a further, un­ A further visit to the same area on the follow­ substantiated report from Curdimurka, south ing day with other observers unfortunately pro­ of Lake Eyre (see Matheson 1981 for a sum­ ved fruitless as far as this species was concern­ mary). ed. On 21 April 1984 I observed a Painted I consider. that the discovery of a solitary Honeyeater at about three kilometres north­ Painted Honeyeater at Pitcairn although very east of Pitcairn HS (32°56'S, 139°l7'E) or ap­ unusual for the area, may well be explained by proximately 42 km E of Peterborough in the taking into account the abnormal weather con­ Lower North. The was in an area of mallee ditions preceding the sighting. Pitcairn lies in a woodland consisting mainly of normally semi-arid region; however, 1984 had gracilisand E. socialis, bordering the Manunda proved to be climatically unusual up until mid­ Creek. It was feeding on the flowers of a droop­ April and the area had had useful rains at ap­ ing mistletoe miquelii growing pro­ proximately fortnightly intervals since January fusely in the vicinity. The bird then flew out (19 mm was recorded on 18 April). Conse­ from the mistletoe, over my head and perched quently, the vegetation had benefited and there on an exposed branch not more than eight was evidence of recent breeding by many metres distant. It remained thus for five species. These conditions .probably enabled seconds during which time I clearly saw the nomadic species such as the Painted following features: pink bill, pure black back, Honeyeater to travel well beyond their usually white underparts extending to the chin, circular acknowledged distribution. white ear patch and a yellow panel on the wings. The panel appeared to be much brighter than on other yellow-winged species of honeyeater, but this was probably due to its be­ ing completely surrounded by black. I had no REFERENCE doubt that the bird was a male Painted Honeyeater. . Matheson, W.E. 1981. Records of the Painted Honeyeater in South Australia. S. Aust. Om. 28 : 184-185. Other species of honeyeater in the locality at the time were White-plumed 21 Cynthia Street, Para Hills, S.A. 5096 Lichenostomus penicillatus, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters Acanthogenys rufogularls and Received 2 May 1984; accepted 28 May 1984