White-cheeked HoneyeaterScientific name: Phylidonyris nigra

Meaning of name: Phylidonyris is from the French word phylidonyre, combining the name phyledon, meaning honeyeater, and Cinnyris, being the genus for sunbirds, of which the honeyeaters were originally considered to be members. Nigra is from the Latin word niger, meaning black.

Aboriginal name: Bandin (ban’deen). The same name is also used for the New Holland Honeyeater.

Distribution: Found in the southwest of Western Australia and along the east coast.

Description: Up to 18cm long with a 22cm wingspan.

Notes: The furthest distance recorded by the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme for this species of bird to travel is 291 km. The oldest bird recorded was still alive when its band was read in March 2010, 11 years 6.9 months after being banded (information as at 23 June 2012).

References: What Bird is That? Neville W Cayley. 1978

Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Various contributors.

Aboriginal names of bird species in south-west Western Australia, with suggestions for their adoption into common usage. Ian Abbott. 2009. Conservation Science Western Australia Journal. Volume 7 No 2  http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/about-us/science-and-research/76-publications-and-resources/103-conservation-science-wa-journal

Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/science/abbbs/abbbs-search.html