Acanthiza pusilla

Size: Birds Size: 10 cm

Family: Pardalotidae (Pardalotes, Bristlebirds, Scrubwrens, Thornbills and allies, 30 species in Australia)

Distribution: Within about 300 km of the coasts of NSW, South QLD, Most of VIC and TAS, small parts of SE SA.

Status: Common to Locally Uncommon.

Habitat: Most forested areas where there is enough undergrowth.

References: Simpson and Day, Reader's Digest

About the Brown Thornbill

The Brown Thornbill is a very common bird in the Blue Mountains of NSW. They almost always appear in flocks of several birds up to dozens of them. They are hard to get good photos of since they move around so often so I was stoked when I got these ones.

I am fairly sure these photos are Brown Thornbills rather than Striated Thornbills (or another Thornbill) due to the rufous (reddish-brown) around the rump and inner tail, and especially due to the reddish coloured eye. According to Simpson and Day there is no other Thornbill or related bird with a reddish brown eye in the East of New South Wales. The Striated Thornbill is also common in the Blue Mountains and I find it hard to tell the difference, without a close up of the eye like in the photo below.

Photo: Blaxland, Blue Mountains NSW.

Photo: Blaxland, Blue Mountains NSW.

Photo: Blaxland, Blue Mountains NSW.

Artwork: John Gould, 'The Birds of Australia', 1848. Higher Resolution 705 x 1000.

See Also

Australian Mammals
Australian Reptiles
Australian Frogs
Australian Fish
Australian Spiders and Their Faces
Australian Wild Plant Foods

Return to Australian Birds