Small, chunky bird with a cocked tail, found in wet forested areas and heathland in eastern Victoria and southeastern New South Wales.
Vulnerable
Endemic to Australia
At a glance
FamilyThornbills and Allies
SizeTiny
RarityCommon
HabitatSmall, chunky bird with a cocked tail, found in wet forested areas and heathland in eastern Victoria and southeastern New South Wales.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from September to January.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Han Buckx
Range map
Range map
549visible hotspots
8939visible 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
Dark chocolate brown plumage, with faintly mottled chest and rufous-tinted throat and rump.
Behavior
Call is loud and clear, easily remembered as a whistled
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
Victoria
Australian Capital Territory
Commonly confused with
Striated FieldwrenCalamanthus fuliginosusOlive-brown overall with pale throat. Inhabits dense heath, grasslands, and salt marsh. Tasmania and in coastal areas between Adelaide and Sydney.→Striated ThornbillAcanthiza lineataUpperparts greenish brown, underparts off-white, with distinct dark streaking on throat and breast and reddish-brown cap. Similar Brown Thornbill lacks greenish tone in upperparts and has less defined streaking below.→Speckled WarblerPyrrholaemus sagittatusMale has black stripe on side of crown, female a rufous stripe. Inhabits dry forest and woodlands.→