The generic name is derived from the Greek meli for honey and dektes for beggar or receiver.

[2] They are medium-sized honeyeaters, varied in appearance but possessing a long and sometimes stout bill and bare patch around the eye which is quite large and brightly coloured in some species.

[3] The diet of the melidectes is not known for all species, but for those that are known it consists of insects, nectar, pollen, fruit and berries.

The most widespread species, the ornate melidectes, has actually benefited from human activities.

That species prefers forest edge, secondary growth and gardens, and has apparently increased in numbers.