Purple-gaped Honeyeaters inhabit the mallee scrubs of far southern Australia from mid-Victoria west to near Albany in W.A. Fairly sedentary, they don't form flocks but small groups do concentrate at rich sources of food - usually flowering mallees. Adults live together in pairs in permanent territories and no long distance movements are known. As well as nectar they also feed on invertebrates found amongst bark and foliage.Young birds lack the purple gape instead it is yellowish.