Status and Feeding of the Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus Tenuirostris at New England National Park, North-Eastern NSW

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Abstract
The eastern spinebill is the commonest bird at a site, primarily in dry sclerophyll forest, at 1500 m in northeastern New South Wales. Three other species of honeyeaters are common and 7 other species occur. There is a large influx of spinebills in autumn, which coincides with the start of flowering of Banksia collina, the nectar of which is a major source of energy during winter. Numbers fall again in spring as B. collina flowers decline. B. integrifolia is an important nectar source in autumn, and flowers of Epacris longiflora, Streptothamnus beckleri, Muellerina celastroides and Amyema sp. are also visited. Little evidence of breeding was found at the site; most juveniles were caught in summer. Spinebills molt in autumn. They are heavier in winter and have more visible fat. Only 6% of spinebills that were banded were recaptured, those banded in summer being more likely to be recaptured. The daily production of nectar at peak flowering of B. collina (26,000 kJ/ha) is as high as any found elsewhere in southeastern Australia. In most of other sites where nectar is prolific, medium-sized or large honeyeaters are common. The abundance of the small spinebills at this rich site is hard to explain.