Black honeyeater

Black honeyeater.
The black honeyeater (Sugomel niger) is a species of bird in the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae. The bird exhibits sexual dimorphism: the males are black and white, while the females and immature birds are a speckled grey-brown. The species is endemic to Australia, and ranges widely across the arid areas of the continent, through open woodland and shrubland. A nectar feeder, the black honeyeater has a long curved bill to reach the base of tubular flowers such as those of the emu bush. It also takes insects in the air, and regularly eats ash left behind at campfires. Cup-shaped nests are built in the forks of small trees or shrubs. The male engages in a soaring song flight in the mating season, but contributes little to nest building or incubating the clutch of two to three eggs. Both sexes feed and care for the young. While the population appears to be decreasing, the black honeyeater is numerous and widespread.