Red-headed Honeyeaters inhabit mangroves, not exclusively, but preferably. In Australia they are restricted to the northern coastline, south to near Broome in W.A. and to Princess Charlotte Bay in Qld. They occur also in southern New Guinea and other outlying islands as far as Sumba. A typical liitle Myzomela they flit lightly through the foliage keeping largely to the shadows. They feed mostly on insects and spiders with perhaps an occasional sortie to a nearby flowering paperbark when available. They occur in pairs usually but on occasions do aggregate in small flocks to access nectar in flowering plants where it is abundant.