Small bird with thin bill (longer than on most other gerygones), found only in dense mangroves along the northwestern Australian coast.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
At a glance
FamilyThornbills and Allies
SizeTiny
RarityUncommon
HabitatIt is endemic to coastal central and northern areas of Western Australia , from Shark Bay to Kunmuya.
Best timeMost reliable in Western Australia from June to October.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Drew Davison
Range map
Range map
83visible hotspots
3118visible records
1states
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
Juvenile has brownish eye. Similar Mangrove Gerygone has red eye, smaller bill, and white patches in tail; Large-billed Gerygone has dark eye and heavier bill. Unlikely to be seen outside mangrove habitat.
Behavior
Grayish brown above, off-white below, with pale eye.
Gallery
Regional timing
Western Australia
Commonly confused with
Slender-billed ThornbillAcanthiza iredaleiGrayish brown above, pale with faint speckling on chest below, with pale eye and faint pale-and-dark grizzling in face. Dark tail contrasts with paler rump.→Rufous FieldwrenCalamanthus campestrisSmall bird of open arid shrubland and grasslands. Pale brown above, whitish below, with distinct pale supercilium, faint chest streaking, and long, cocked tail. Similar to Western Fieldwren but no range overlap. Compare Shy Heathwren, which has a white wing spot and darker legs.→RedthroatPyrrholaemus brunneusFemale pale around the face and throat; male has small rusty-red throat patch. Larger than thornbills and rather plump, more like a whiteface. Song a sustained warbling, trilling medley, with buzzing and mimicking mixed in.→