Brownish gray above, cream-colored below, with white eye, pale speckling on forecrown, pale-tipped dark tail, and vivid chestnut rump, often visible in flight.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Chestnut-Rumped Tit, Chestnut-Tailed Thornbill
At a glance
FamilyThornbills and Allies
SizeTiny
RarityCommon
HabitatSmall bird with thin pointed bill, found in woodland and shrubland across much of arid inland temperate Australia.
Best timeMost reliable in South Australia from September to October.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
69905approx records
5states
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
Young bird has dark eye and can be confused with Slaty-backed Thornbill. Compare Inland Thornbill, which has a heavily streaked chest.
Behavior
Forages in small flocks in understory bushes and also on the ground. Typical calls are very thin rapid chatter interspersed with slower, high- pitched
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
Northern Territory