The Honeyeater family is well represented in Mt. Evelyn and with the exception of the Helmeted Honeyeater Lichenostomus cassidix,  and the Yellow Tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus melanops, most of the species recorded here at the turn of the century are still found in various parts of Mt. Evelyn. 

They range in size from the tiny Scarlet Honeyeater Myzomela sanguinolenta, 100-110mm ,through to the much larger Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata, 340mm, most however are from about 165-200mm.  Honeyeaters are largely nectar and insect feeders. They usually have large curved bills, with long flexible tongues with brushlike ends for collecting nectar.  Their coloration is usually greens and browns, often with streaks, or black, white or yellow markings.  They depend on a wide variety of flowering insect attracting plants like eucalypts, acacias, banksias and grevilleas for their food and except for the larger species their typical nest is a fragile suspended cup intricately woven and lined with fur or feathers.

Honeyeaters are often curious little birds and can show remarkable ability to overcome their fear of man in order to achieve their goals, as can be shown from the following article from "A Bushman's Year" by Jack Hyett, about a gang of members working on the railway (now the Warburton Tail) at Mt. Evelyn. "They were working on a section of the line when an olive-green bird with large white patches of feathers behind and below its eyes alighted on the head of one of them and calmly proceeded to pick the hair from his head.  It did not confine its attentions to one man but levied tribute on all the members of the gang.  It showed a preference for grey hair so that it favored the ganger more than any other members of the gang, but it was prepared to accept any hair available.  It alighted on hands, shoulders, on the breast pockets of overalls where it proceeded to pull hairs from their chests, and on one memorable occasion it alighted on the face of one man. With one set of claws firmly grasping the bridge of his nose and the other on his cheek it endeavored to remove eyelashes and hairs from his eyebrows.  The men were delighted with all this and were anxious to do nothing to discourage the bird even restraining themselves from trying to stroke it."

In more recent times I have seen this little bird wait until my two Golden Retrievers are sleeping peacefully only to fly down and pluck the fur from their backs. By the time the dogs wake up to what is happening the birds have flown off.  They will repeat this many times until their nests are well lined.  It seems these birds prefer their fur warm.

In Mt. Evelyn, thirteen species of honeyeater are still to be found. They are Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata, Little Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera, Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala, Bell Miner (Bellbird) Manorina Melanophrys, Crescent Honeyeater Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera, Yellow-faced Honeyeater Lichenostomus chrysops, White-eared Honeyeater Lichenostomus leucotis, New Holland Honeyeater Phylidonyris novaehollandiae, Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris, White-naped Honeyeater Melithreptus lunatus, Lewin Honeyeater Meliphaga lewinii, and Scarlet Honeyeater Myzomela sanguinolenta.  Both the Regent Honeyeater and the Helmeted Honeyeater are on the endangered list.