A burner (23) for operating a heat generator includes a swirler (2) for a combustion air flow (9), and also devices (7, 12) for injecting at least one fuel into the combustion air flow (9), wherein a mixing path (3) is arranged downstream of the swirler (2), and wherein at least one nozzle (20) for feeding liquid pilot fuel is arranged in the region radially outside the discharge opening of the mixing path (3) of the burner. With such a burner, an operating mode which is as pollutant-free and overheating-free as possible can be enabled even at low load and under transient conditions if the at least one nozzle (20) is arranged in a burner front plate (32), wherein at least one discharge opening (15), through which the pilot fuel discharges into the combustion chamber (16), is provided in a front face (34) of the burner front plate (32), which is arranged essentially parallel to a combustion chamber rear wall (28).