- Colour: the top of the adult male's head is grey-black,
extending in a line down either side of its white breast. Its
throat is also white, with a rufous patch in the centre. Its
wings and lower back are dark metallic grey and its upper back
and underneath are buff. In flight, its white outer tail
feathers are visible. The female has similar but duller
colouring. A young bird has less distinct markings with dark
olive on top of its head, a white chin and throat and a cinnamon
chest and belly. - Distinctive feature: it has a very long, fine
beak that curves downward. - Size: 13 - 16 cm long (from its
head to the tip of its tail). Call: a short, repetitive, high-
pitched piping. During flight it twitters. Diet: insects and
nectar from a wide variety of flowers including grevilleas,
epacrids (heaths) and other flowering shrubs. It extracts the
nectar while perched or hovering. Flight: energetic - fast and
erratic. Movement: it remains in some areas throughout the year,
sometimes with local movements. In other a