This honeyeater is endemic to Timor and Semau islands. Accounts record it in habitats from forest to gardens and mangroves, with more records in lowlands near the coast.
It is listed at about 15 cm long and 23 g in mass.
Records include forest, secondary woodland, scrub, semi-cultivated areas, gardens, mangroves, and coastal scrub. Birds occur alone or in pairs and sometimes feed in groups of three to six. On 2 October 2013, one nest about 5 m above ground and two nestlings were recorded at Oelsonbai, Kupang.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.