New Children’s Book Highlights the Plight of the Critically Endangered Regent Honeyeater and Celebrates the Beauty of Australia’s Box-Ironbark Woodlands

A new children’s book, Sunny Finds His Song, shines a spotlight on the Critically Endangered Regent Honeyeater. This is the third collaboration between author Cate Storey and illustrator Sarah Matsuda, and the first children’s book by co-author Penny Watson.

The book will be officially launched at 6pm on Friday, 30 August, at the Robyn Bauer Studio Gallery, 54 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington, QLD 4064. The event will also feature an exhibition of Sarah Matsuda’s original illustrations, which will run from Saturday, 31 August, to Saturday, 7 September. Gallery opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm.

Cate explains that the original story idea came from press coverage about Regent Honeyeater song-learning, which led the authors to articles published as part of Dr Ross Crates doctoral thesis. The authors extend their gratitude to Dr Crates not only for inspiring the story but for raising awareness about the Regent Honeyeater’s plight.

Regent Honeyeaters once flew in flocks across a range extending from Adelaide to Gladstone. However, habitat clearance has led the species to the brink of extinction, with only 300 birds remaining in the wild.

Illustration from Sunny Finds His Song, written by Cate Storey and Penny Watson and illustrated by Sarah Matsuda

Regent Honeyeaters have a species-specific song which older male birds teach to older male birds. Learning this song is crucial for attracting mates and defending territory. Regent Honeyeaters do not learn their song from fathers. Regent Honeyeater fathers remaining quiet during nesting to avoid predators, and the song-learning period only starts once young have left the nest area. As a result, young birds must find other tutors. With the population critically low, many young birds struggle to learn their song, sometimes imitating other bird species instead.

As it becomes harder and harder to pass the song between generations, the species-specific song is getting shorter and simpler over time.  This process is referred to by Dr Crates as the loss of Regent Honeyeater song culture and is a significant challenge to the species survival. 

Illustration from Sunny Finds His Song, written by Cate Storey and Penny Watson and illustrated by Sarah Matsuda

Sunny Finds His Song, follows Sunny, a lonely Regent Honeyeater struggling to find others of his kind. Cate describes how the scientific backdrop of Regent Honeyeater song-learning provided the perfect setting for a gentle coming-of-age story. Despite the serious environmental themes, Sunny’s journey ultimately ends happily. He finds a singing teacher, a band of birds, and eventually, a mate named Goldie. Goldie’s leg bands reference real-life efforts to save the species through captive breeding and release programmes.

The book also highlights the importance of preserving habitats and feeding grounds for nectar-feeding birds. Regent Honeyeaters, nomadic in search of gum blossoms, are particularly associated with the often-overlooked box-ironbark woodlands. These woodlands are biodiversity hotspots, crucial for many species, including Regent Honeyeaters and Swift Parrots.

Illustration from Sunny Finds His Song, written by Cate Storey and Penny Watson and illustrated by Sarah Matsuda

Australia has lost 70% of its temperate eucalypt woodlands. Box-ironbark country is also gold country. During the gold rush in the mid-1800s, box-ironbark woodlands were dug up in search of gold.  Trees were cut down and used for building materials or were burned as firewood.  After the gold rush, box-ironbark country continued to be cleared for firewood, farms and houses.

 Woodlands on the fertile soil most suitable for farming were quickly cleared. Remaining woodlands now occur in less fertile places, where eucalypt trees grow more slowly and provide a less predictable supply of nectar. Older trees also provide a more predictable nectar source, and the amount of nectar they produce within a small space cannot be replaced by smaller and younger trees.

Cate, Penny, and Sarah hope that the story will get families talking about the value and importance of Australia’s eucalypt woodlands. “Because these woodlands once dominated our landscape, many of our species have evolved to depend on them, and I think woodlands are often overlooked when we think of habitat conservation,” Cate explains. She goes on to suggest, “The next time you are travelling, have a look out of your car window and observe what areas have been cleared and what remains. Of course, fertile plains have been mostly replaced by farmland because of their value for growing crops and grazing. But it was the very trees that grew on these fertile plains that produced the most reliable nectar supply.”

Illustration from Sunny Finds His Song, written by Cate Storey and Penny Watson and illustrated by Sarah Matsuda

Cate also explains that intact and healthy box-ironbark woodlands are a delight for wildflower enthusiasts, with many wildflower treasures waiting to be discovered in the understory, such as native orchids and native pea flowers. These unique Australian wildflowers have been celebrated in Sarah Matsuda’s illustrations.

Cate, Penny, and Sarah would also like to acknowledge Mick Roderick, Woodland Bird Program Manager at Birdlife Australia; Allison Beutel and Jordan Mountney from Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary; Dr. Daniel Appleby and Sara Petrovic for sharing their knowledge on the Regent Honeyeater; as well as Quentin Bel, Sue Brunskill, and Karen Retra for sharing their knowledge of Victorian wildflowers. A special thank you also to Mick Atzeni for recently taking Cate to see her first Regent Honeyeater in the wild, and Deb Metters for cultivating Cate and Penny’s love of birds.

Cover Image Sunny Finds His Song, written by Cate Storey and Penny Watson and illustrated by Sarah Matsuda

One Lonely Little Bird

A reflection on meeting my first regent honeyeater in the wild

Regent Honeyeater, Illustration from Sunny Finds His Song, written by Cate Storey and Penny Watson and illustrated by Sarah Matsuda.

Recently, I had the absolute privilege of seeing my first Regent Honeyeater in the wild. This little bird was incredibly significant. He is one of fewer than 200 to 300 Regent Honeyeaters left in the wild, and he was found thousands of kilometres from the last stronghold of the species in the Lower Hunter Valley. But he was also particularly special to me on a very personal level. 

I set the alarm for 4:45 in the morning, was out the door by 5:30am, and headed off in the dark towards Murphy’s Creek, just outside of Toowoomba. There, I was meeting Mick Atenzi from Toowoomba Bird Observers Club, so we could head to the site where the Regent Honeyeater had been seen over the last two weeks. I am incredibly thankful to Mick for sharing his local knowledge with me. Without him, I may not have sighted the Regent Honeyeater, far up in the canopy among other honeyeaters.

As we walked down the path, Mick explained that the Regent Honeyeater had been occupying the same yellow box tree for the last few weeks, specifically in the northwest corner of the tree, defending his blossom-filled territory. Despite some saying that there was more than one Regent Honeyeater, it’s believed that there was only a single bird there, although there were other species of honeyeaters around. One little lonely Regent Honeyeater.

Regent Honeyeater, Illustration from Sunny Finds His Song, written by Cate Storey and Penny Watson and illustrated by Sarah Matsuda.

We arrived at the yellow box. I was hopping with anticipation. I had seen a number of Regent Honeyeaters in captivity but never in the wild (and not for lack of trying). Whoop! Whoop! I saw him! Our little Regent Honeyeater, defending his quarter of a fully-blossomed yellow box tree.

I say “he” because our little bird was singing his heart out. And I realised that seeing this beautiful bird, this rare and precious gem, was bittersweet. Let me explain.

“Regent Honeyeaters were once a common sight in woodlands, west of the Great Dividing Range.”

I am the author of a children’s book about a lonely Regent Honeyeater. Regent Honeyeaters were once a common sight in woodlands, especially west of the Great Dividing Range. Nowadays, they are primarily associated with box-ironbark woodlands. These birds are nomadic, always in search of the best gum blossoms. They once flew in flocks, with their range extending as far south as Adelaide and as far north as Gladstone.

As woodlands have been cleared, this once common bird has disappeared and is now critically endangered. Next time you are travelling, have a look out of your car window. Of course, fertile plains have now been cleared and replaced by farmland.  But it was the very trees that grew on these fertile plains that produced the most reliable nectar supply. Older trees also provide a more predictable nectar source, and the amount of nectar they produce within a small space cannot be replaced by smaller and younger trees. As woodlands have disappeared, so have the Regent Honeyeaters.

“Next time you are travelling, have a look out of your car window. Of course, fertile plains have now been cleared and replaced by farmland.  But it was the very trees that grew on these fertile plains that produced the most reliable nectar supply.”

But let’s go back to our lonely little Regent Honeyeater. Because there are so few of his kind left, I wonder if he will ever find others of his kind or a nest mate. Due to the vast distances that Regent Honeyeaters travel, it’s possible for a young male bird to leave the nest area to make his own way in the world and then never actually find another Regent Honeyeater. Oh, my heart! These lonely little birds will not only always be lonely, but they will never have families or children, further decreasing the viability of the remaining population.

We explain this very phenomenon at the back of our book, and the narrative, in fact, starts with a lonesome Regent Honeyeater.

Regent Honeyeater, Illustration from Sunny Finds His Song, written by Cate Storey and Penny Watson and illustrated by Sarah Matsuda.

But there is more to the story, and it’s the story of the little bird I met yesterday. Although, of course, the story was written years before I had the privilege of meeting this precious bird. Regent Honeyeaters have a unique song. Only male birds sing the full song, and it was the fact that I observed this little bird singing so often that I believe it’s a boy.

Unlike some species where the father will teach the children a species-specific call or song, Regent Honeyeaters do not learn their songs from their father. This is because father birds rarely sing while raising young, and young birds have left their nesting area by the time they are ready to learn. So young birds,need to find another teacher.

Mick explained to me that a recording of our bird’s song was sent to BirdLife Australia. And our little Regent Honeyeater is NOT singing the full rich song of his species! This means he never found the right teacher. Oh, my heart!

If a Regent Honeyeater fails to effectively learn his species-specific song, he will struggle to find a mate, defend territory, and find others of his kind to travel with. In our story, our Regent Honeyeater, called Sunny, finds a teacher, his flock, and a lady love. I hope the beautiful bird I met recently also has his happy ending. But there may be hundreds or even thousands of kilometres between him and others of his kind, and if he doesn’t learn his song by the time he is a year old, he may never be able to learn it….

There is something so incredibly heartbreaking about the thought of a songbird losing its song. Even among birds that have learnt the species-specific Regent Honeyeater song, the song that they are now singing is shorter and simpler than the song sung by their ancestors.

As someone who loves the Australian bush, I feel like we have lost so much, and I grieve the thriving eucalyptus woodlands that once covered so much of our vast country. I wonder if our children will ever grow up knowing what a healthy bushland looks like, the plethora of uniquely Australian wildflowers that are now drowned out by weeds. I think of all the amazing people I met while seeking out our little bird, all driven by the excitement of seeing this rare, beautiful and unique creature. And I’m reminded that our children may never see a Regent Honeyeater in the wild, like I did.

Cate Storey is an Australian Children’s Author and founder of Wet Season Books.  

Regent Honeyeater, Illustration from Sunny Finds His Song, written by Cate Storey and Penny Watson and illustrated by Sarah Matsuda.

Cate Storey is the author of three children’s picture books: Snuggled Away, The Perfect Hollow and co-author of Sunny Finds His Song.

Each book is stunningly illustrated by Sarah Matsuda.

You can pre-order copies of Sunny Finds His Song here.

 Images in this blog are copyright Sarah Matsuda, Illustrations from Sunny Finds His Song, written by Cate Storey and Penny Watson and illustrated by Sarah Matsuda and published by Wet Season Books