Pied Honeyeaters inhabit the shrublands of Australia's arid zone which in some places reach the coast of mid-western W.A. They are real nomads in most of the inland, only arriving in bountiful seasons but on the coast of W.A. they can usually be found in the coastal dunes in the Carnarvon region in spring. They are particularly attracted by the flowering of various eremophilas.

When breeding male Pied Honeyeaters become extremely obvious, resulting from their spectacular song flights when they fly vertically upwards with tail fanned (see pics 602203, 603207 & 603208) and singing loudly, then plummet back to earth, tail still fanned but with wings closed. Conversely, the sombre plumaged females are nowhere to be seen - they keep a low profile in the shrubbery. Both sexes build the nest, incubate the eggs and feed the nestlings.