Bird guideBeautiful Firetail

Distribution and habitat The beautiful firetail is endemic to Southeastern Australia.

⚠️WA: Rare
🌿Endemic to Australia

At a glance

FamilyWaxbills and Allies
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatInhabits heathland and woodlands in Tasmania and coastal areas of southeastern Australia.
Best timeMost reliable in Tasmania from October to February.

Sounds

Sound sample
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Recorded by Marc Anderson

Range map

Range map

621visible hotspots
9265visible records
3states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

Very dark between eyes and bill (lores), with a pale eyering. Red-browed Firetail lacks fine barring and dark lores; Diamond Firetail has white belly and strongly spotted flanks. Juveniles plain brown, with features resembling adult but less pronounced. Inhabits heathland and woodlands in Tasmania and coastal areas of southeastern Australia.

Behavior

Reproduction In the breeding season lasting from October to January, the beautiful firetail nests in dense foliage near the ground. The nest is made of grass and thin twigs, its insides are covered in feathers. It is bottle-shaped with a long tunnel-like entrance on one side leading to a spherical nesting chamber.

Regional timing

New South Wales
Peak: January to April4,316 records
Tasmania
Peak: October to February4,898 records
Victoria
Peak: December to April2,029 records
South Australia
Peak: January1,202 records
Australian Capital Territory
Peak: January14 records

Commonly confused with

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