Small bird with thin pointed bill, found in coastal marshes, heath, and around salt lakes from southern Western Australia to southern South Australia.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Slender Thornbill, Samphire Thornbill, Small-Billed Tit, Dark Thornbill
At a glance
FamilyThornbills and Allies
SizeTiny
RarityUncommon
HabitatSmall bird with thin pointed bill, found in coastal marshes, heath, and around salt lakes from southern Western Australia to southern South Australia.
Best timeMost reliable in South Australia from September to October.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Eddy Smith
Range map
Range map
284visible hotspots
2156visible records
4states
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
Grayish 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.
Behavior
Forages in small flocks in understory bushes and also on the ground.
Gallery
Regional timing
South Australia
Western Australia
Victoria
Northern Territory
Commonly confused with
Dusky GerygoneGerygone tenebrosaJuvenile 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.→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.→Slaty-backed ThornbillAcanthiza robustirostrisBrownish gray above, cream-colored below, with dark eye, dark streaking on forecrown, pale lores, pale-tipped dark tail, and chestnut rump, often visible in flight. Distinguished from juvenile Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (which also has dark eyes) by noting the dark streaks on Slaty-backed’s forehead.→