Bird guideWestern Spinebill

With their long curved bills, western spinebills are the only honeyeaters able to gain nectar out of the tube-like flowers.

⚠️Not listed
🌿Endemic to Australia

At a glance

FamilyHoneyeaters
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatSmall, slender bird with thin curved bill, found in wetter forested areas, parks, and gardens of southwestern Western Australia.
Best timeMost reliable in Western Australia from March to May.

Sounds

Sound sample
0:000:00
Recorded by Drew Davison

Range map

Range map

689visible hotspots
19551visible records
2states
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

Small, slender bird with thin curved bill, found in wetter forested areas, parks, and gardens of southwestern Western Australia. Young bird plain buff-colored below, brown above. Note white corners in tail, sometimes obvious in flight. An active and fast forager, darting around quickly between flowering trees. Call is a loud, repeated piping.

Behavior

Like other honeyeaters, the western spinebill feeds on nectar. It also feeds from trees of Banksia and Eucalyptus , and from herbs such as Anigozanthos . In addition to nectar, it feeds on insects that it captures in the air or on plants.

Regional timing

Western Australia
Peak: March to May19,544 records
New South Wales
Peak: December1 records
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