Order Passeriformes family Acanthizidae
The Australasian Warbler family, Acanthizidae, contains Gerygones, Thornbills, and Scrubwrens. Most species possess muted colors, such as olive, gray, or brown plumage, although some exhibit brighter yellow patches. They primarily consume insects, but a few also eat seeds. Many of the species now classified as Acanthizidae were previously placed in the family Pardalotidae.
1. Genus Acanthiza
Nests of thornbills are large, dome-shaped constructions, completely enclosed except for a side hole. These species have long incubation periods followed by highly synchronized hatching. This unique combination is usually difficult to achieve because of intense competition for food. However, it is possible because the parents and often helpful caregivers can effectively manage the food supply, significantly reducing competition among siblings for food.
1.1. Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla)
Description: Brown Thornbills are small birds characterized by their thin, pointed, blackish bills and pale, rufous-brown foreheads. Their upper parts range from olive brown to gray and feature reddish-brown patches on their rumps. They have gray-brown tails with a black subterminal band and pale grayish tips. The underparts of these birds are off-white, with blackish streaks on their chins, throats, and chests. Males and females have similar appearances.
- Length – 3.5-3.9 in (9-10 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.25 oz (7.0 g)
Similar to Tasmanian Thornbills. Tasmanian Thornbills have lighter bellies than Brown Thornbills.
Habitat: Brown Thornbills inhabit various dense shrubby habitats, including wet and dry forests, woodlands, coastal dune thickets, heathlands, rainforests, and areas with rushes and bracken along rivers and creeks.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Brown Thornbill as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Brown Thornbills occur in the eastern and southeastern parts of Australia, including Tasmania.
1.2. Buff-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza reguloides)
Description: Buff-rumped Thornbills are small birds characterized by their thin, pointed, dark brownish-gray bills. Their upper parts range from olive-brown to olive, with buff-colored foreheads adorned with paler scalloping. One of their most distinctive features is their buff-colored rumps, while their tails display broad blackish bands that culminate in lighter tips.
The chins, throats, and upper breasts of these birds are whitish or cream, transitioning to creamy yellow on their under breasts and uniformly creamy yellow on their bellies and flanks. They have pale eyes, and their legs vary from dark gray to dark pinkish-brown. Both males and females exhibit similar characteristics.
- Length – 3.15-3.94 in (8-10 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.28 oz (8 g)
Habitat: Buff-rumped Thornbills are found in dry sclerophyll forests, open eucalyptus groves, and areas with sparse undergrowth, including grasses and heather. They also inhabit cypress pines, casuarinas, and acacias.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Buff-rumped Thornbill as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Buff-rumped Thornbills are primarily found in eastern Australia, ranging from Chinchilla in Queensland to Cobar in New South Wales and southeastern South Australia.
1.3. Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza uropygialis)
Description: Chestnut-rumped Thornbills are small, pale birds with sharp, pointed gray-black bills. Their upperparts range from pale grayish-brown to brownish-gray, while their foreheads are rich dark brown, adorned with white scallops. The lower tails are gray-black with narrow grayish-white tips, and their underparts are a washed pale gray. These birds have white eyes and gray-black legs. Males and females are similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.54-4.33 in (9-11 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.21 oz (6 g)
Habitat: Chestnut-rumped Thornbills are found in dry woodlands and timbered grasslands, primarily composed of Mulga and Mallee eucalypts. They also inhabit thickets, saltbush, blue bush, and open pastoral areas, often near dead trees.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Chestnut-rumped Thornbill as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Chestnut-rumped Thornbills are endemic to mainland Australia.
1.4. Inland Thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis)
Description: Inland Thornbills are small birds with gray-brown heads adorned with black and white scalloping on their foreheads. They have grayish-brown backs and wings, while their rumps are a bright rufous color. Their tails feature dark bands with white tips. The underparts of these birds are off-white, with dark streaks on their throats and breasts. They possess thin, pointed, dark gray bills and grayish-black legs. The sexes of the Inland Thornbills are similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.54-4.53 in (9-11.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.25 oz (7 g)
Habitat: Inland Thornbills are found in diverse habitats, ranging from arid woodlands and scrub, including the Mulga of the Mallee and the Gibson Desert, to mangrove forests in southwestern Western Australia, as well as dense forests and coastal heaths.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Inland Thornbill as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Inland Thornbills are commonly found throughout Australia, including southwestern Western Australia, eastern South Australia, northwestern Victoria, central New South Wales, Queensland, and its inland southern regions.
1.5. Mountain Thornbill (Acanthiza katherina)
Description: Mountain Thornbills are small birds characterized by their pointed, dark bills. They have grayish-green upperparts, adorned with faint pale speckling on their gray forecrowns. Their underparts are pale, featuring faint streaks on their chests. These birds have distinctive white eyes and black or dark gray feet. Males and females exhibit similar physical features.
- Length – 3.94-4.13 in (10-10.5 cm)
- Weight – 0.23-0.26 oz (6.5-7.5 g)
Habitat: Mountain Thornbills inhabit tropical rainforests, typically in vine forests at medium to high elevations.
Conservation: The IUCN has classified the Mountain Thornbill as Vulnerable (VU). Climate change primarily threatens this species through increased mortality during longer, hotter heat waves and reduced resource availability due to drier, hotter dry seasons.
Distribution: Mountain Thornbills are endemic to the Queensland Wet Tropics region of Australia, from Shipton’s Flat, near Cooktown, south to the Paluma Range, and inland to Herberton and the Mt. Windsor Tableland.
1.6. Papuan Thornbill, also New Guinea Thornbill (Acanthiza murina)
Description: Papuan Thornbills are small, dull-colored birds characterized by their brownish-olive heads and upper parts. They have mottled whitish markings on their foreheads and cheeks. Their tails feature a broad blackish subterminal band with pale grayish to whitish tips. The underparts of these birds are dirty, pale gray, sometimes with a buffy wash. Their eyes range from whitish to yellowish, and their bills are black to dark brown. The legs can vary in color, appearing black, dark brown, or light brown. Both sexes of the species are similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.54-3.94 in (9-10 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.25 oz (7 g)
Habitat: Papuan Thornbills inhabit high-altitude montane forests and forest edges.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Papuan Thornbill as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Papuan Thornbills are found in the New Guinea Highlands.
1.7. Slaty-backed Thornbill (Acanthiza robustirostris)
Description: Slaty-backed Thornbills are small birds known for their strong black bills. Their upperparts are slaty gray, while their tails are primarily black, featuring narrow grayish-white tips. These birds have dark streaks on their foreheads, pale lores, and chestnut rumps, often visible in flight. Their lower parts are cream-colored, and they have dark red or reddish-brown eyes, along with grayish-black legs. The sexes of these birds are similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.75-4.53 in (9.5-11.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.12 oz (6 g)
Habitat: Slaty-backed Thornbills mainly inhabit Mulga forests with emu-bush undergrowth in sandy plains, rocky areas, and low mountain ranges of arid and semi-arid regions.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Slaty-backed Thornbill as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Slaty-backed thornbills are endemic to Australia.
1.8. Slender-billed Thornbill (Acanthiza iredalei)
Description: Slender-billed Thornbills are small birds characterized by their slender, pointed, blackish bills. They have olive-gray upperparts and crowns, which are decorated with coarsely scalloped blackish spots on their foreheads. Their ear coverts are speckled with cream. The bases of their tails are olive-yellow, while the lower parts are blackish with fine grayish-white tips. Their underparts are cream, featuring subtle dark flecks on the upper chest, and their flanks display a more intense creamy yellow, sometimes appearing pale gray. Sexes are similar.
- Length – 3.35-4.33 in (8.5-11 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.21 oz (6 g)
Habitat: Slender-billed Thornbills inhabit arid and semi-arid regions, preferring shrublands near mangroves, salt lakes, or salt flats. They are commonly found in chenopod shrublands with plants like Samphire, Bluebush, and Saltbush, and sometimes in low-heath areas on sand plains.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Slender-billed Thornbill as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Slender-billed Thornbills are endemic to Australia.
1.9. Striated Thornbill (Acanthiza lineata)
Description: Striated Thornbills are small birds known for their thin, pointed black bills. Their upper parts are greenish-brown, and their upper tails are olive-brown with blackish subterminal bands. The rectrices have yellowish outer edges, while the outermost ones feature a whitish outer edge. They have reddish-brown caps adorned with cream striations that extend across their faces to their ear coverts.
The breasts of Striated Thornbills are whitish, fading to dull yellow on the sides with distinct blackish markings. Their bellies may have diffuse blackish striations, while the flanks are gray-olive, transitioning to yellow-brown at the back. They have brown or grayish-brown eyes and grayish-black to dark-brown legs, with both sexes looking alike.
- Length – 3.54-4.33 in (9-11 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.25 oz (7 g)
Habitat: Striated Thornbills are found in open forests and woodlands, especially in areas with eucalyptus trees and dense undergrowth. They prefer habitats with abundant shrubs, such as mallee and riverbank vegetation. Additionally, these birds inhabit farmland dotted with gum trees, patches of natural plants, and regions near the edges of forests. Occasionally, they can be spotted in gardens within suburban neighborhoods.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Striated Thornbill as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Striated Thornbills are endemic to Australia.
1.10. Tasmanian Thornbill (Acanthiza ewingii)
Description: Tasmanian Thornbills are small birds characterized by their thin, pointed, dark bills. They have olive-brown upperparts, dark red eyes, and reddish-brown foreheads. Their wings are dark gray, while their throats and breasts are gray-white, adorned with flecks and mottling of dusky gray. The lower breast, flanks, and bellies are buff-gray with a white center, and their undertail coverts are white. Their feet and legs are dark gray. The sexes are similar in appearance.
- Length – 4.13-4.53 in (10.5-11.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.35 oz (10 g)
Similar to Brown Thornbills, Tasmanian Thornbills have lighter bellies.
Habitat: Tasmanian Thornbills inhabit rainforests and wet forests, preferring the dense scrub surrounding wet gullies over drier areas.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Tasmanian Thornbill as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Tasmanian Thornbills are endemic to Tasmania and the Bass Strait Islands.
1.11. Western Thornbill (Acanthiza inornata)
Description: Western Thornbills are small birds known for their thin, pointed, dark bills, brownish-olive crowns, and upper parts. They feature delicate cream-colored scallops on their foreheads and have pale eyes. The tips of their tails display a dark brown band. Their underparts are whitish, transitioning to buffy tones on the flanks and lower bellies. Both their bills and legs are black, and there is no difference in appearance between the sexes.
- Length – 3.15-4.13 in (8-10.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.35 oz (10 g)
Habitat: Western Thornbills are found in most types of forests, woodlands, and scrubs, especially Jarrah-Marri and Wandoo forests. They also occur in heaths, Banksia forests, and sometimes in parks and wooded gardens.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Western Thornbills as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Western Thornbills are endemic to southwestern Australia.
1.12. Yellow Thornbill (Acanthiza nana)
Description: Yellow Thornbills are diminutive birds characterized by their thin, dark, and pointed bills. They have vibrant yellow plumage, which is particularly prominent compared to their relatives. Their upperparts exhibit greenish back feathers and olive-brown wing coverts.
Yellow Thornbill’s throats and chins are pale buff-orange, transitioning into soft, creamy-yellow breasts. They have underparts that are yellow to yellow-olive, with a dull yellow wash on their breasts. Their lower tails are grayish-brown, featuring wide blackish subterminal bands. They possess dark brown to reddish eyes and black legs. The sexes are similar.
- Length – 3.35-3.94 in (8.5-10 cm)
- Weight – 0.21-0.25 oz (6-7 g)
Habitat: Yellow Thornbills inhabit a variety of habitats, including shrublands, forests, and thickets, favoring areas dominated by casuarinas or eucalypts, particularly in drier climates.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Yellow Thornbill as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Yellow Thornbills are found in northern and central western Queensland. They live along the eastern coast of Australia, including much of New South Wales, all of Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, and the southeastern corner of South Australia.
1.13. Yellow-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa)
Description: Yellow-rumped Thornbills are small birds characterized by their thin, dark, pointed bills and short tails, which are noticeably larger than those of other Australian thornbill species. Their most distinctive features include blackish tails and bright yellow rumps. They have black foreheads with white spots, gray heads, and necks.
Yellow-rumped Thornbills have white bellies and light buff-colored undersides on their wings. Their wings are gray, and they possess black tails. They feature whitish brows that are wider in front of their eyes and narrow bands above their beaks that taper behind their eyes. Additionally, there are narrow dark stripes through their eyes, and their ear coverts are whitish with dark patterns. Their legs are black, and both sexes are similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.74-4.72 in (9.5-12 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.32 oz (9 g)
Habitat: Yellow-rumped Thornbills inhabit various open habitats, including the understory of open eucalyptus forests, jungles, mallee, acacia, and other shrublands, as well as banksia forests and savannah grasslands. They can also be seen in urban grasslands and lightly wooded gardens.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Yellow-rumped Thornbill as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Yellow-rumped Thornbills are widely distributed across western, southern, and eastern Australia, as well as Tasmania.
2. Genus Acanthornis
There is only one species in this Genus.
2.1. Scorbutic (Acanthornis magna)
Description: Scrubtits are small birds characterized by their short, thin, and curved black bills. They have brown upperparts, gray faces, and pale eyes with white rings around them. Their wings are black with small white tips, and their upper tails are a dark brownish-gray, featuring rectrices edged in reddish-brown and a prominent wide black subterminal band. The throats and bellies of Scrubtits are white, with an olive wash on their flanks. Their legs are gray to pinkish-brown, and both males and females have similar appearances.
- Length – 4.33-4.72 in (11-12 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.35 oz (10 g)
Habitat: Scrubtits are found in temperate rainforests, Antarctic beech forests with a rich understory of mosses and ferns, particularly soft tree ferns, and eucalypt woodlands, where they prefer dense cover.
Conservation: IUCN has listed the Scrubtit as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Scrubtits are endemic to Tasmania and King Island in Australia.
3. Genus Aethomyias
3.1. Bicolored Mouse-Warbler, also Bicolored Scrubwren (Aethomyias nigrorufus)
This species was formerly placed in the genus Crateroscelis. Still, following the publication of a molecular phylogenetic study of the scrubwrens and mouse-warblers in 2018, it was moved to the resurrected genus Aethomyias.
Description: Bicolored Mouse-Warblers are small scrubwrens, rare, two-colored birds with long legs. They have blackish upperparts and bright, rufous to reddish-brown underparts, which become duller towards the lower abdomen. Their eyes are reddish-brown, their bills are grayish-brown, and their legs are brownish-black. Males and females are similar in appearance.
- Length – 4.75-5.12 in (12-13 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Habitat: Bicolored Mouse-Warblers inhabit mid-montane forest understory.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Bicolored Mouse-Warbler as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Bicolored Mouse-Warblers are found in the Highlands of New Guinea.
3.2. Pale-billed Scrubwren (Aethomyias spilodera)
This species was formerly placed in the genus Sericornis, but following the publication of a molecular phylogenetic study of the scrubwrens in 2018, it was moved to the resurrected genus Aethomyias.
Description: Pale-billed Scrubwrens are medium-sized birds characterized by their distinctive pale bills and often display black streaking on their throats. They have black crowns and olive-colored upperparts, while their wings and tails are browner than their mantles.
Pale-billed Scrubwrens have whitish chins and throats adorned with black streaks. Their underparts are yellowish-white, while their breasts are darkly striated with gray, and their flanks are a pale olive color. Their eyes are either reddish-brown or brown, and their bills can be pale pinkish or horn-colored. The legs of these birds are grayish-brown or light brown. Both males and females appear similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.94-4.92 in (10-12.5 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Habitat: Pale-billed Scrubwrens inhabit mainly hill forests and lowland forests in the transfluvial lowlands.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Pale-billed Scrubwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Pale-billed Scrubwrens are found in the Aru Islands and New Guinea.
4. Genus Aphelocephala
This genus typically occurs in the arid regions of Australia. They are striking-looking birds, especially when compared to their duller relatives, characterized by dark upperparts, stubby bills, and white breasts and faces.
4.1. Banded Whiteface (Aphelocephala nigricincta)
Description: Banded Whitefaces are small birds characterized by their short, stout bills. They have grayish-brown feathers on their backs and distinctive white facial masks that are lightly cream-colored, with dark bands across their eyes. The tops of their heads are light brown, with fine gray stripes, which transition to light brown on the back and sides of their necks. Their tails are black but brown at their bases.
Banded Whitefaces have whitish underparts, thin black chest bands, and intense ruffian spots on the flanks. They feature white or cream eyes, black or grayish-black bills, and grayish-black legs. Both sexes are similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.54-3.94 in (9-10 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.39 oz (11 g)
Habitat: Banded Whitefaces inhabit open grasslands and arid to semi-arid landscapes, making their homes in Mulga woodlands, gibber plains, and sandhills. They also frequent areas with saltbush and spinifex vegetation, as well as burned and dead regions.
Conservation: The IUCN lists the Banded Whiteface as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Banded Whitefaces have a very large range, from southwestern Queensland across the drier parts of central and southern Australia into mid-Western Australia. Their movements are influenced by seasonal conditions, leading to a nomadic or sedentary lifestyle.
4.2. Chestnut-breasted Whiteface (Aphelocephala pectoralis)
Description: Chestnut-breasted Whitefaces are small birds characterized by their short, stout bills. They have rufous-brown upperparts and distinctive off-white facial masks with thin black lines across their eyes. The tops of their heads are light brown, with fine gray stripes, which transition to light brown on the back and sides of their necks. They also have dark mottling on their ear coverts. Their tails are black, with brown bases and thin white tips.
Chestnut-breasted Whitefaces have white underparts and distinctive wide chestnut bands across their chests, which are adorned with narrow and irregular black spots along the lower edge. They also exhibit striking ruffian spots on their flanks. Their eyes can be white or cream. Both their bills and legs are gray-black to black in color. Males and females are similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.54-4.13 in (9-10.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.32 oz (9 g)
Habitat: Chestnut-breasted Whitefaces inhabit Chenopod bushes in open, stony, and semi-arid desert areas, often on stony hills, elevations, and gibbous plateaus. They prefer coverage in patches of blue bush, Eremophila, and saltbushes.
Conservation: The IUCN has classified the Chestnut-breasted Whiteface as Near Threatened (NT) due to the overgrazing of the chenopod shrub layer by sheep, cattle, feral goats (Capra hircus), and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), in combination with drought.
Distribution: Chestnut-breasted Whitefaces are endemic to Australia.
4.3. Southern Whiteface (Aphelocephala leucopsis)
Description: Southern Whitefaces are small, stocky birds characterized by short, stout bills. They have grayish upperparts, black tails with white tips, and distinctive off-white facial masks that feature thin black lines across their eyes.
Their underparts are creamy white or light fawn, with a gray wash on the chest and a gray-brown wash on the flanks. They typically have cream or creamy yellow eyes, black or grayish-black bills, and dark brown to grayish-black legs. Both males and females share similar plumage.
- Length – 4.13-4.92 in (10.5-12.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.44 oz (12.5 g)
Habitat: Southern Whitefaces inhabit arid open woodlands with grassy or shrubby understory and grass plains. They prefer undisturbed woodland and shrubland areas with grasses or shrubs in the undergrowth.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Southern Whiteface as Vulnerable (VU) due to habitat loss, destruction, overgrazing by livestock, prolonged droughts, and increasing extreme events, such as wildfires and heatwaves.
Distribution: Southern Whitefaces are endemic to Australia.
5. Genus Calamanthus
5.1. Rufous Fieldwren (Calamanthus campestris)
Description: Rufous Fieldwrens are small, terrestrial birds characterized by their gray to rufous-brown upperparts, with brighter foreheads. They have distinctive broad white supercilia, short, robust bills, and long, slightly graduated tails that are typically tilted.
The lower parts of their bodies range in color from cream to cinnamon, with streaks on their breasts and beige hind flanks. Their eyes are a mix of beige and orange-brown. They have blackish-gray bills, which change to a pale brownish-gray on the lower jaw. Their legs are a shade between gray and pinkish-gray. Both sexes have similar plumage, although females are generally smaller than males.
- Length – 4.53-5.31 in (11.5-13.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.49 oz (14 g)
Habitat: Rufous Fieldwrens inhabit various habitats, including dry woodlands, heathlands, and saline wetlands, favoring saltbush, bluebush, samphire, spinifex, and eucalyptus.
Conservation: IUCN has listed the Rufous Fieldwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Rufous Fieldwrens are endemic to four southern states of mainland Australia.
5.2. Striated Fieldwren (Calamanthus fuliginosus)
Description: Striated Fieldwrens are small, light-brownish birds with extensive heavy streaking and long, cocked tails. Their upper parts are yellow-brown, and the underparts are buff, with dark gray and brown streaks. Their long tails are pale with brown and black streaks. They also have white supercilium, dark reddish-brown irises, black bills, and dirty pink legs.
- Length – 4.92-5.51 in (12.5-14 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.71 oz (20 g)
Habitat: Striated Fieldwrens inhabit loose, dense vegetation, such as heather, bushes, tussock grass, and sedges, often near wetlands, coastal lagoons, salt marshes, and clearings in coniferous plantations.
Conservation: IUCN has listed the Striated Fieldwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Striated Fieldwrens are found in coastal areas of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania.
6. Genus Crateroscelis
6.1. Mountain Mouse-Warbler (Crateroscelis robusta), also (Origma robusta)
Description: Mountain Mouse Warblers are short, stout birds characterized by their short tails. They have dark brown upperparts and pale underparts, featuring whitish chins and throats alongside darker pectoral stripes. These birds possess pale eyes, brown bills, and grayish-brown legs. Males and females appear similar, but females are generally lighter than males.
- Length – Average 4.72 in (12 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Habitat: Mountain Mouse-Warblers inhabit the dense, shrubby understorey of moss forests in mountainous regions, and they can also be found in coarse kunai grass along forest edges and in areas overgrown by treefall.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Mountain Mouse-Warbler as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Mountain Mouse-Warblers are found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
6.2. Rusty Mouse-Warbler (Crateroscelis murina)
Description: Rusty Mouse-Warblers are small birds characterized by black crowns that transition into dark olive-brown or rufous brown upper parts, including wings and tails. They have whitish chins and upper throats, while the rest of their underparts are rusty. Their eyes are scarlet or red, and they possess black bills with pinkish lower mandibles. Their legs are pale pinkish. Females are similar to males but appear duller, with brownish crowns and lores instead of black.
- Length – Average 4.72 in (12 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Rusty Mouse-Warblers are similar to Bicolored Mouse-Warblers but are typically found at lower elevations and have white throats instead of rufous ones.
Habitat: Rusty Mouse-Warblers primarily inhabit hill forests, occupying low-level niches in the understorey and among shrubs in dense, open areas.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Rusty Mouse-Warbler as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Rusty Mouse-Warblers are found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
7. Genus Gerygone
7.1. Biak Gerygone (Gerygone hypoxantha)
Description: Biak Gerygones are small birds with olive-green upperparts, gray heads, and pale yellow underparts. They have a distinctive broken white eye-ring around their dark eyes and light fringes on their wing feathers. Their tails are square or slightly toothed, with dark subterminal bands. Their bills are dark, and they possess bright orange-pink legs. Sexes are similar.
- Length – 3.94-4.72 in (10-12 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Biak Gerygones are sometimes considered a subspecies of Large-billed Gerygones. Biak Gerygones have more yellowish underparts than the Large-billed Gerygones.
Habitat: Biak Gerygones inhabit lowland forests and groves, including forest edges and secondary growth.
Conservation: IUCN has classified the Biak Gerygone as Near Threatened (NT) because the forests on Biak are under significant pressure from logging and subsistence farming, although large-scale logging has not been economically viable for some time.
Distribution: Biak Gerygones are endemic to the islands of Biak and Supiori in West Papua, Indonesia.
7.2. Brown Gerygone (Gerygone mouki)
Description: Brown Gerygones are small birds characterized by their thin, dark bills. They have brown upperparts and whitish underparts. Their faces and the sides of their necks are greyish-brown, featuring a thin black loral line. Their tails have broad blackish subterminal bands, with all rectrices except for the central pair displaying a large white spot near the tip in the inner sections. They possess brick-red or intense brown eyes and legs that range from olive-gray to black, with yellowish soles. Both sexes are alike in appearance.
- Length – 3.54-4.33 in (9-11 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.19 oz (5.5 g)
Habitat: Brown Gerygones primarily inhabit rainforests and humid forests, as well as ravines and river vegetation. During the non-breeding season, they travel to drier areas and can sometimes be found in mangroves and dry forests.
Conservation: IUCN has listed the Brown Gerygone as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Brown Gerygones are endemic to the eastern coastal regions of Australia.
7.3. Brown-breasted Gerygone (Gerygone ruficollis)
Description: Brown-breasted Gerygones are small birds characterized by their brownish crowns, sides of their faces, and upper parts. They have broken white eye rings. Their upper wings are blackish, with pale edgings on the secondaries; their tails are blackish, with conspicuous white subterminal spots on the outer feathers.
Brown-breasted Gerygones have whitish underparts and characteristic brown breasts with rufous hues around their throats and necks. Their eyes are reddish-brown to dark brown eyes, and their bills and legs are black. The sexes are similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.94-4.72 in (10-12 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Habitat: Brown-breasted Gerygones inhabit dense primary montane forests, along forest edges, in gardens of towns and villages, in secondary growth, and among Casuarina trees in cultivated areas.
Conservation: IUCN has listed the Brown-breasted Gerygone as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Brown-breasted Gerygones are found in the highlands of New Guinea.
7.4. Chatham Island Gerygone (Gerygone albofrontata)
Description: Chatham Island Gerygones are large gerygones characterized by their long, dark bills. They have dull olive-brown upperparts, with whitish foreheads and brows and narrow dark supercilium. Their tails are long with dark subterminal bands and large white spots on the inner sections of all rectrices except the central pairs.
They have whitish underparts with yellowish flanks. Their eyes are dark red, their bills are black, and their legs are grayish-brown or dark gray. Females are slightly smaller than males, distinguished by having reduced white on their foreheads, brow, and lower parts, which appear duller and grayer.
- Length – Average 4.72 in (12 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.39 oz (11 g)
Habitat: Chatham Island Gerygones inhabit dense native forests and shrubs, ranging from the coast to the plateaus. They are also found in open areas covered with ferns and pohuehue.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Chatham Island Gerygones as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Chatham Island Gerygones are endemic to the Chatham Islands.
7.5. Dusky Gerygone (Gerygone tenebrosa)
Description: Dusky Gerygones are small birds known for their thin bills. Their upperparts are grayish-brown, with an olive tint on the head and back. They feature dark loral stripes extending down to their eyes and a whitish supercilium above them.
Their tails are gray-brown, adorned with faint dark subterminal bars, while the outer tail feathers have small whitish spots near the tips. The underparts are off-white, with a grayish wash on the sides of the chest and flanks. These birds have pale eyes, black bills, and shiny black legs. Both sexes are similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.94-4.92 (10-12.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.26 oz (7.5 g)
Habitat: Dusky Gerygones inhabit mangrove forests and coastal scrublands.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Dusky Gerygones as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Dusky Gerygones are endemic to coastal central and northern areas of Western Australia.
7.6. Fairy Gerygone (Gerygone palpebrosa)
Description: Fairy Gerygones are small birds with olive-colored upper parts that transition to a greenish-gray hue. Males have black foreheads and olive sides on their heads and throats, extending to their upper breasts. They feature a prominent white spot above their beaks (the loral spot) and on their cheeks (the malar spot), along with an olive crown and nape.
The underparts of Fairy Gerygones are yellow, with bright red or orange-red eyes, black bills, and slate gray to black legs. The females lack dark markings on their heads and have pale eyelets, white throats, and yellow breasts.
- Length – 3.94-4.53 in (10-11.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.28 oz (8 g)
Habitat: Fairy Gerygones are found in lush subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, as well as in subtropical and tropical mangrove forests.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Fairy Gerygones as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Fairy Gerygones are native to New Guinea and Queensland, Australia.
7.7. Fan-tailed Gerygone (Gerygone flavolateralis)
Description: Fan-tailed Gerygones are small, subtly colored birds. They have olive-brown upperparts, with the head displaying a more olive-gray hue. Their faces feature narrow, indistinct, whitish brow lines and fine, broken eye rims. The upper wings and tails are also olive-brown, and the outer tail feathers have small, white subterminal spots.
Fan-tailed Gerygones have whitish-gray throats, lemon-yellow flanks and bellies, and pale gray underparts. Their eyes are red, their bills are black, and their legs are dark gray or black. Females are generally paler than males.
- Length – Average 3.94 in (10 cm)
- Weight – 0.19-0.23 oz (5.5-6.5 g)
Habitat: Fan-tailed Gerygones can be found in forests, secondary-growth areas, village gardens, and shrublands.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Fan-tailed Gerygones as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Fan-tailed Gerygones are found in New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
7.8. Golden-bellied Gerygone (Gerygone sulphurea)
Description: Golden-bellied Gerygones are small birds distinguished by their olive-brown upperparts, pale throats, and bright yellow underbellies. They have short, rounded tails with dark subterminal bands and white spots near the tips of the outer feather pairs. These birds also have dark eyes, as well as short, uncurved black bills and legs. Both males and females look similar.
- Length – 3.74-4.13 in (9.5-10.5 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Habitat: Golden-bellied Gerygones inhabit wooded areas like montane forests, mangroves, tree-lined streets, swamp forests, and plantations.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Golden-bellied Gerygones as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Golden-bellied Gerygones are found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand.
7.9. Gray Gerygone also Gray Warbler (Gerygone igata)
Description: Gray Gerygones are small, slender birds known for their long tails. They have gray-olive upperparts and pale gray faces with distinct black lores. Their tails are whitish underneath and dark brown on top, displaying white tips when in flight. They have gray chins, throats, and chests, while their underparts are mostly white, occasionally showing a pale yellow or gray tint on the flanks.
The eyes of Gray Gerygones are ruby red, while the bills and legs are black. The sexes are similar, but females are slightly smaller in size.
- Length – Average 3.94 in (10 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.23 oz (6.5 g)
Habitat: Gray Gerygone’s are found in both native and exotic forests and can be observed almost anywhere where trees or shrubs are present.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Gray Gerygone as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution. Gray Gerygones are commonly found throughout the main islands of New Zealand as well as many of its offshore islands.
7.10. Green-backed Gerygone (Gerygone chloronota)
Description: Green-backed Gerygones are small birds known for their slender bills. They have dark green-olive upper parts with gray crowns. Their wings and tails are brown, featuring faint dark subterminal bands. The birds have white chins and throats, while the rest of their underparts are primarily off-white. Their eyes are red, and their bills can be black or blackish-brown. Their legs range from black to dark gray. Both sexes of the species look similar.
- Length – 3.74-4.33 in (9.5-11 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.23 oz (6.5 g)
Habitat: Green-backed Gerygones primarily inhabit river and monsoon forests, characterized by dense vines and shrubs. They can also be found in mangroves, old forests near sandstone cliffs, gorges, and ravines, as well as in areas where mangroves meet paperbark forests. Occasionally, they inhabit open, dry eucalyptus forests that are adjacent to these other habitats.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Green-backed Gerygone as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Green-backed Gerygones are found in northern Australia and New Guinea.
7.11. Large-billed Gerygone (Gerygone magnirostris)
Description: Large-billed Gerygones are small birds with brown upperparts. Their tails are grayish-brown with dark subterminal caudal bands and indistinct whitish spots on the tips of their external rectrices. Their underparts are whitish with a faint brownish-grey wash on their chests and flanks.
Large-billed Gerygones have thin broken eye-rings surrounding reddish-brown eyes. Their bills and lores are dark gray, while their legs are grey. Both sexes of the species look similar.
- Length – 3.94-4.72 in (10-12 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.25 oz (7 g)
Biak Gerygones are sometimes considered a subspecies of the Large-billed Gerygone. Biak Gerygones have more yellowish underparts than the Large-billed Gerygones.
Habitat: Large-billed Gerygones inhabit mangrove ecosystems within intertidal wetlands, as well as riparian scrub and thickets along rivers. They are also occasionally spotted in fruit trees in villages.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Large-billed Gerygone as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Large-billed Gerygones are found in northern Australia and New Guinea.
7.12. Mangrove Gerygone (Gerygone levigaster)
Description: Mangrove Gerygones are small birds characterized by their rounded wings and gray upperparts, which contrast with their reddish-brown rumps. They have distinctive tails featuring broad blackish bands and large white spots on most of their tail feathers. Additionally, there is an indistinct white band at the base of the outermost pair of tail feathers.
Mangrove Gerygones have whitish underparts with pale gray on throats, chins, and sides. Their upper flanks are usually light greyish brown; lower flanks are tinged with cream. These birds are noted for their prominent white supercilium, red eyes surrounded by narrow white eye-rings, and black bills and legs. Both sexes of the species look similar.
- Length – 3.74-4.53 in (9.5-11.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.21 oz (6 g)
Habitat: Mangrove Gerygones inhabit primarily mangrove forests, as well as forests and woodlands adjacent to mangroves.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Mangrove Gerygone as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Mangrove Gerygones are found in coastal regions from Western Australia to North Queensland, extending into southern New Guinea and from coastal Queensland to New South Wales.
7.13. Norfolk Island Gerygone (Gerygone modesta)
Description: Norfolk Island Gerygones are small birds characterized by olive-brown upperparts and gray faces, featuring a slim black line through their eyes. They also have a small black spot in front of their eyes. Their tails have a broad blackish tip and dark-edged white spots on all rectrices except the central pairs, with spots increasing in size outward.
Norfolk Island Gerygones have pale gray chins, throats, and breasts, with whitish underparts and a beige wash on the flanks. Their eyes vary from reddish-brown to bright red, and their thin, slender bills are black. The legs can be black, grayish-brown, or brown, and both sexes appear similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.74-4.84 in (9.5-1.3 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.25 oz (7 g)
Habitat. Norfolk Island Gerygones inhabit humid forests, forest edges, secondary growth, hedges, grasslands with remaining vegetation, and gardens.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Norfolk Island Gerygone as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution. Norfolk Island Gerygones are endemic to Norfolk Island. (Between Australia and New Zealand)
7.14. Plain Gerygone (Gerygone inornata)
Description: Plain Gerygones are tiny birds characterized by their greyish-brown upperparts. They have dark lores and a narrow white stripe between their bills and eyes, as well as dark brownish ear coverts. Their tails are blackish with pale outer tips. The underparts are white, and their eyes can be yellow, white, or orange. They also have dark gray bills and gray legs. Both sexes are similar in appearance.
- Length – Average 3.94 in (10 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Habitat: Plain Gerygones inhabit forests, woodland edges, mangroves, and scrub from the coast to the mountains.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Plain Gerygone as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Plain Gerygones are found on the islands of Wetar and Timor.
7.15. Rufous-sided Gerygone (Gerygone dorsalis)
Description: Rufous-sided Gerygones are small, slender-billed birds with rufous-brown upperparts and olive-brown crowns. They have pale brow markings that do not extend past their eyes. Their tails feature inconspicuous pale subterminal spots on the outer rectrices. Their underparts are whitish with rufous-washed flanks. These birds have grayish-yellow eyes, blackish-gray bills, and dark-gray legs. Males and females are similar in appearance.
- Length – Average 3.94 in (10 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Habitat: Rufous-sided Gerygones are found in lowland and coastal forests, forest edges, secondary forests, cleared areas, lightly wooded crops, and mangroves, preferring areas with tangles of vines.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Rufous-sided Gerygone as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Rufous-sided Gerygones occur in the eastern Lesser Sunda Islands and Kai Islands.
7.16. Western Gerygone (Gerygone fusca)
Description: Western Gerygones are small birds characterized by their brownish-gray upperparts that blend into brown on their rumps. Their faces are pale brownish-gray, with narrow, white rings around their eyes. Their tails display a distinctive black-and-white pattern, with the majority of the tail being white and a broad black band near the tips. Notably, the central tail feathers are dark gray.
Western Gerygones have whitish underparts that blend into a gray wash on their chins and throats. They possess dark red eyes, black bills, and blackish legs. The sexes are similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.54-4.53 in (9-11.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.21 oz (6 g)
Habitat: Western Gerygones are found in various wooded environments, including dry eucalyptus and acacia forests, spanning subtropical, temperate, semi-arid, and arid zones.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Western Gerygone as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Western Gerygones are endemic to Australia.
7.17. White-throated Gerygone (Gerygone olivacea)
Description: White-throated Gerygones are striking small birds characterized by their slender bills. Their upperparts display a gray-brown color with an olive tinge. They have blackish loral lines that extend up to their eyes and a small white subloreal spot that reaches their eyes. Their tails have broad black subterminal bands and large white spots with dark edges on all the tail feathers except for the central ones.
The underparts of the White-throated Gerygones are bright yellow, featuring well-defined white necks and throats. Their eyes are red, and their bills and legs are black. The sexes are similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.54-4.53 in (9-11.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.25 oz (7 g)
Habitat: White-throated Gerygones inhabit open eucalypt woodlands and forests, as well as vegetation along watercourses.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the White-throated Gerygone as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: White-throated Gerygones are found across Australia and reach into the verdant landscapes of Papua New Guinea.
7.18. Yellow-bellied Gerygone (Gerygone chrysogaster)
Description: Yellow-bellied Gerygones are small birds with brownish-olive upperparts and gray cheeks. They feature narrow pale stripes above their eyes and have pale eye-rings. Their chests and throats are grayish-white, blending into yellow underbellies and vents. The birds have reddish-brown eyes, black bills, and legs that range from pale to fleshy purple. Both males and females have similar appearances.
- Length – Average 3.94 in (10 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Habitat: Yellow-bellied Gerygones inhabit tropical forests, secondary growth, monsoon forests, and riparian formations.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Yellow-bellied Gerygone as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Yellow-bellied Gerygones are endemic to New Guinea.
8. Genus Hylacola
8.1. Chestnut-rumped Heathwren (Hylacola pyrrhopygia)
Description: Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens are small bushland birds characterized by their long, cocked tails. They have olive-brown upperparts with conspicuous reddish-brown rumps and tail coverts. Their crowns and necks are more grayish, and they have a whitish, narrow superciliary that stops just behind their eyes. Their tails feature blackish subterminal bands and grayish tips on all rectrices except the central pairs, as well as a small, inconspicuously whitish spot at the base of the outer primaries.
The underparts of Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens are primarily white, with a light wash of greyish-brown on the flanks and thighs. They feature dense, narrow streaks of dark greyish-brown on their chins, throats, and chests, while the striations on the flanks are more diffuse. Their eyes can be brownish-yellow or cream, and their legs are gray. Both sexes are similar in appearance, but females have beige underparts, thinner striations underneath, and whitish centers on their bellies.
- Length – 4.92-6.3 in (12.5-16 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.6 oz (17 g)
Habitat: Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens inhabit the dense heath of coastal, mountain, and hinterland areas, as well as the thick undergrowth of forests and woodlands.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Chestnut-rumped Heathwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens are endemic to Australia.
8.2. Shy Heathwren (Hylacola cauta)
Description: Shy Heathwrens are small, slender, compact birds with long cocked tails. Their upperparts have a greyish-brown hue with prominent white brows extending well past their eyes. Their backs and rumps are rufous-brown, their tails are blackish, with a central pair of rectrices having ash-gray tips, the rest with prominent white tips. They have a white spot at the base of their primaries.
Shy Heathwrens have white underparts with broad black stripes that extend from their chins down through their chests and flanks. They have dark red eyes, and their upper mandibles are blackish. The bases of their lower mandibles are pinkish-brown, while their legs are dark gray to grayish-brown. Both sexes are similar in appearance, although females have more muted coloration on their underparts, with the center of their bellies appearing whitish and featuring thinner striations.
- Length – 4.53-5.51 in (11.5-14cm)
- Weight – Average 0.53 oz (15 g)
Habitat: Shy Heathwrens inhabit dense undergrowth of shrubs or heaths in mallee forests and thickets, typically found in coastal and semi-arid areas. They are often found where spinifex and thick shrubs, such as Banksia, Hakea, Grevillea, tea tree, and cypress pine, are present.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Shy Heathwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Shy Heathwrens are endemic to Australia.
9. Genus Oreoscopusa
There is only one species within this genus.
9.1. Fernwren (Oreoscopus gutturalis)
Description: Fernwrens are small, elusive birds that have dark olive-brown upperparts featuring a distinctive white supercilium and throat. Their underparts are a lighter shade, accompanied by black bibs. These birds have long, slender bills and short tails. Females are slightly smaller and less vibrant than males, displaying a smaller breast crescent, less noticeable brow markings, and a more restricted, less bright white throat.
- Length – 4.7–5.5 in (12–14 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Habitat: Fernwrens are found in tropical, moist, lowland, and montane forests that have dense understories.
Conservation. The IUCN has classified the Fernwren as Endangered (EN) primarily due to climate change. This threat leads to higher mortality during intense heat waves and contributes to longer, drier dry seasons, which are likely to reduce resource availability.
Distribution: Fernwrens are endemic to northern Queensland in Australia.
10. Genus Origma
There is only one species within this genus.
10.1. Rockwarbler (Origma solitaria)
Description: Rockwarblers are small birds that hop around on rocky boulders and cliffs, flicking their elongated square tails from side to side. Their upperparts are dark gray-brown, with cinnamon-tinged faces and foreheads; their tails are black, and their lowerparts are reddish-brown, with paler throats. Their eyes are dark reddish-brown, their bills are blackish-brown, and their legs are grayish-black. The sexes are similar in appearance.
- Length – 4.92-5.9 in (12.5-15 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.51 oz (14.5 g)
Habitat: Rockwarblers are typically found on exposed sandstone, limestone, granite, and other rocky areas near water, including ravines, steep slopes, and cliffs, often near parking lots.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Rockwarbler as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Rockwarblers are endemic to the mainland of New South Wales, Australia.
11. Genus Pachycare
There is only one species within this genus.
11.1. Goldenface (Pachycare flavogriseum)
Description: Goldenfaces are small, brightly colored birds known for their vibrant yellow underparts, faces, and foreheads. Their upper parts are slate gray, which includes their backs, tails, wings, caps, and the backs of their necks. From the crown to the shoulders, their faces are bordered by a black line.
The tertial feathers of their wings feature black and white tips. They have brown to dark brown eyes, black bills, and light brown to brown legs. Although males and females are similar, there are slight differences: females have ear coverts with a dark spot and less black on the anterior crown.
- Length – Average 5.12 in (13 cm)
- Weight – 0.49-0.67 oz (14-19 g)
Habitat: Goldenfaces inhabit montane and lower hill forests, as well as adjacent secondary growth. They are often found in denser vegetation and occasionally in more open regrowth.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Goldenface as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Goldenfaces are endemic to New Guinea.
12. Genus Pycnoptilus
There is only one species within this genus.
12.1. Pilotbird (Pycnoptilus floccosus)
Description: Pilotbirds are small, chunky bird with a cocked tail. Their upperparts are chocolate brown with rufous wash on the rump and cinnamon foreheads, short, pointed, robust bills, and long, broad tails.
Pilotbirds have reddish-brown underparts with brown scalloping on their throats and chests. The centers of their bellies are speckled dull white. Their flanks are brown, and they have dark red or crimson eyes. Their bills are grayish-black, and their legs range from dark gray to dark brown. Males and females exhibit similar appearances.
- Length – 6.69-7.48 in (17-19 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.95 oz (27 g)
Habitat: Pilotbirds inhabit temperate, moist sclerophyll forests and occasionally temperate rainforests and ravines. They thrive in areas with dense undergrowth and plenty of debris.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Pilotbird as Vulnerable (VU) due to the impacts of climate change, severe weather, and bushfires.
Distribution: Pilotbirds are endemic to south-eastern Australia.
13. Genus Pyrrholaemus
13.1. Redthroat (Pyrrholaemus brunneus)
Description: Redthroats are small, elusive birds, and the first thing you notice about them are their red throats. They have grayish-brown heads and necks, with fine whitish scallops and fine dark mottling on their foreheads. The rest of their upperparts are grayish-brown, darker on the rumps and tails, and their blackish-brown tails have broad white tips on the four outer pairs of rectrices.
The underparts of Redthroats are light gray, with a whitish center on their bellies, pale buff flanks, and a dull brick-red spot on their chins and throats. Their eyes vary from reddish-brown to pale brown, and their bills can be either black or grayish-black. Their legs are typically black. While females resemble males, they lack the red spot on their throats, which are instead white or cream-colored.
- Length – 4.03-4.92 in (10.5-12.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.42 oz (12 g)
Habitat: Redthroats are found in arid and semi-arid regions, including acacia and chenopod shrublands. These areas have a complex understory that provides essential foraging and nesting resources, often located along watercourses or drainage lines.
Conservation: The IUCN has the listed the Redthroat as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Redthroats are endemic to Australia.
13.2. Speckled Warbler (Pyrrholaemus sagittata)
Description: Speckled Warblers are small, speckled ground-dwelling birds with gray-brown upperparts featuring darker streaks. They have whitish foreheads, dark brown crowns adorned with narrow pale striations, and black lateral stripes on their crowns that extend to the back of their necks. They have long and narrow whitish brows and light gray-brown earmuffs. Their tails are grayish-brown, with broad, dark brown subterminal bands and narrow white tips.
Speckled Warblers have whitish underparts with a creamy wash on their chins, throats, and chests and beige flanks marked by short black streaks. They have white vents, reddish-brown eyes, and bills that range from grayish-black to grayish-brown. Their legs can be dark gray or pinkish-brown. Females resemble males but have rufous-edged lateral stripes on their black crowns.
- Length – 4.5 to 4.9 in (11.5 to 12.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.48 oz (13.5 g)
Habitat: Speckled Warblers inhabit open eucalypt woodlands on slopes characterized by rocky gullies, tussocky grass, and sparse shrubbery.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Speckled Warbler as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Speckled Warblers are endemic to eastern Australia.
14. Genus Smicrornis
There is only one species within this genus.
14.1. Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris)
Description: Weebills are small birds characterized by their short, stubby bills and olive-brown upper bodies. They have grayish-brown heads with a faint cream supercilium and brown tails marked by broad black subterminal bands and white tips. Their dark brown wings feature narrow pale yellowish fringes.
Weebills have whitish chins and throats with dark streaks. Their underparts are cream or yellow, and they have creamy eyes and pale pinkish-brown bills. Their legs range from dark gray to brown. Both sexes are similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.1-3.5 in (8-9 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.21 oz (6 g)
Habitat: Weebills inhabit a variety of open forest habitats, particularly eucalyptus, dry sclerophyll forests, mallee, and mulga. They are more commonly found in semi-arid areas than in arid regions, where they typically reside along drainage lines.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Weebill as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Weebills occur throughout mainland Australia.
15. Genus Sericornis
15.1. Atherton Scrubwren (Sericornis keri)
Description: Atherton Scrubwrens are small, dark birds distinguished by their long, pointed bills. Their upper bodies are dark olive-brown, while their faces are light brown. They feature pale, brownish fuzzy lines above each eye. Their upper tails are dark brown, and their underparts have a yellow wash on their chins, throats, central areas of the chests, and bellies. Their eyes are dark red or reddish-brown, their bills are black or dark brown, and their legs are flesh-pink to reddish-brown. The sexes are similar, but females are smaller than males.
- Length – 4.53-5.59 in (11.5-14.2 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.42 oz (12 g)
Habitat: Atherton Scrubwrens are found in rainforests, mainly on plateaus, and inhabit thickets of vines and microphyllous ferns.
Conservation: The IUCN lists the Atherton Scrubwrens as Vulnerable (VU) due to the impacts of climate change, which pose threats through increased mortality during longer, hotter heatwaves and reduced resource availability resulting from extended dry seasons.
Distribution: Atherton Scrubwrens are endemic to Queensland, Australia.
15.2. Buff-faced Scrubwren (Sericornis perspicillatus)
Description: Buff-faced Scrubwrens are small, drab birds characterized by their distinctive buff-colored faces surrounding the eyes. Their upperparts are olive, while their crowns and upper backs are gray, forming a half-collar. The underparts are light ochre-yellow, becoming darker on the flanks and bellies. Their eyes can be blackish or reddish-brown, and they have bills that range from dark brown to black. Their legs are pale brown or pale grayish-brown. Both sexes look similar.
- Length – Average 3.94 in (10 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Habitat: Buff-faced Scrubwrens are found in humid montane and middle montane forests, as well as in groves, secondary growth, and village gardens.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Buff-faced Scrubwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution. Buff-faced Scrubwrens are found in the highlands of New Guinea.
15.3. Gray-green Scrubwren (Sericornis arfakianus)
Description: Gray-green Scrubwrens are small birds known for their olive-green upperparts. Their tails are slightly browner and feature dark subterminal bars on all tail feathers except the central ones. The lower parts of these birds are primarily olive, marked with darker, indistinct olive streaks. They also have a grayish wash on their throats and a more yellowish center on their bellies. Their eyes are dark, their bills are brownish-black, and their legs are light grayish-brown. Males and females share similar appearances.
- Length – 3.54-3.94 in (9-10 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Habitat: Gray-green Scrubwrens inhabit low mountain forests and adjacent areas with dense young growth. They can sometimes be found in remnants of native gardens.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Gray-green Scrubwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Gray-green Scrubwrens are found in the highlands of New Guinea.
15.4. Large Scrubwren (Sericornis nouhuysi)
Description: Large Scrubwrens are small birds, relatively larger than other scrubwrens, and they have long bills with rusty-tinged faces. Their upperparts are dark olive-brown, while their wings and tail are browner with rufous (reddish-brown) tinges. The lower parts are a dull olive-yellow, with a rufous tint on their chins and the upper parts of their throats. Their eyes are reddish-brown, and their bills can be black or brownish-black. Their legs range from pale to dark brown. Both sexes have similar appearances.
- Length – 4.53-5.31 in (11.5-13.5 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Habitat: Large Scrubwrens inhabit montane forests and secondary growth.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Large Scrubwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Large Scrubwrens are found in New Guinea.
15.5. Large-billed Scrubwren (Sericornis magnirostra)
Description: Large-billed Scrubwrens are small brown birds distinguished by their long, pointed bills, which may have a slight upward curve. Their upper bodies are brown-olive, with warmer tones on their rumps, while their heads are pale buff color. These birds have dark brown tails that lighten near the base, and their large outer secondary coverts are adorned with dull, cream-colored, fuzzy tips.
The underparts of the Large-billed Scrubwrens are pale olive-brown, gradually transitioning to cream on their bellies. They have prominent, dark red eyes that often appear blackish, and their bills are black. Their legs can be either flesh-pink or grayish-pink. Both sexes have similar appearances, but females are smaller than males.
- Length – 4.03-4.92 in (10.5-12.5 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.35 oz (10 g)
Habitat: Large-billed Scrubwrens inhabit rainforests in the tropics and wet sclerophyll forests in temperate areas.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Large-billed Scrubwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Large-billed Scrubwrens are found from near Cooktown in northern Queensland to Kinglake and the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
15.6. Papuan Scrubwren (Sericornis papuensis)
Description: Papuan Scrubwrens are medium-sized birds characterized by their olive-brown to olive-green upperparts and rufous wings. Their wings have dark spots and pale bases on the flight feathers. The birds have buffy eye-rings and predominantly brown crowns. Additionally, their tails are brownish to olive-green and feature an indistinct dark brown subterminal bar.
Papuan Scrubwrens have pale brown underparts that gradually transition into olive tones on their sides. Their eyes vary from dark brown to golden brown, and their bills can be brown or black. Their legs are a grayish-brown color. Males and females are quite similar in appearance.
- Length – 3.94-4.53 in (10-11.5 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Habitat: Papuan Scrubwrens are found in high montane and secondary-growth forests, particularly in low trees and dense shrubs adjacent to tracks.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Papuan Scrubwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Papuan Scrubwrens occur in the highlands of New Guinea.
15.7. Perplexing Scrubwren (Sericornis virgatus)
Perplexing Scrubwrens have been noted as being a subspecies of Large Scrubwrens (S. n. virgatus (Reichenow, 1915)). In some areas, they are known to interbreed with Large Scrubwrens (Sericornis nouhuysi), which are often considered conspecific, but in other places, they do not interbreed. Clements has merged this bird with the Large Scrubwren.
Description: Perplexing Scrubwrens are medium-sized birds characterized by greenish-olive upperparts and brown crowns and tails. Their foreheads, supraloral areas (which are paler), sides of their heads, and chins are buffy rufous, while their underparts are a drab olive. Their eyes are orange-brown or brown, their bills range from brown to blackish, and their feet are horn-colored. Both sexes are similar in appearance.
- Length – 4.53-5.31 in (11.5-13.5 cm)
- Weight – No data available
Habitat: Perplexing Scrubwrens inhabit subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Perplexing Scrubwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Perplexing Scrubwrens are endemic to New Guinea.
15.8. Tasmanian Scrubwren (Sericornis humilis)
Tasmanian Scrubwrens are alternately considered a subspecies of the smaller White-browed Scrubwrens, and further research is needed to understand the relationships between the two species.
Description: Tasmanian Scrubwrens are small birds characterized by their compact bodies, slender straight bills, and relatively short tails. Their upper parts are mostly dark olive-brown with russet on their backs, rumps, and upper tails. They have black shoulder patches with overlying white markings. They have pale lines above and below their pale yellow eyes. The area between these lines are brown.
Tasmanian Scrubwrens have off-white chins and throats adorned with dark streaks. Their underparts are a dull cream color with gray streaks, which become slightly yellowish towards the center of their bellies. The flanks and sides of their chests are dark brownish. They have black bills, and their legs can range from light grayish-brown to pink. Males and females appear similar, but females typically exhibit less contrasting patterns, and the area between their eye stripes tends to look grayer.
- Length – 4.92-5.71 in (12.5-14.5 cm)
- Weight – 0.51-0.76 oz (14.5-21.5 g)
Habitat: Tasmanian Scrubwrens inhabit various habitats across Tasmania. They can be found in the thick understory of rainforests, in drier woodlands, as well as in swamps and coastal scrublands. This bird adapts well to Tasmania’s different environments.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Tasmanian Scrubwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Tasmanian Scrubwrens occur in Tasmania and nearby King Island.
15.9. Tropical Scrubwren (Sericornis beccarii)
Description: Tropical Scrubwrens are medium-sized Wrens with long bills, long legs, and short tails. Their upper parts are dark olive-like, with browner tones on their crowns, wings, and tails. They have a whitish supraloral spot. There are small white spots above their eyes (like a small supercilium) and white lower eye-rings. Their middle and greater wing coverts are black, with white tips (forming two short, broken wing bars).
Tropical Scrubwrens have grayish-white throats and yellowish chests and bellies. Their breasts are olive with faint stripes, and their flanks are also olive green. They have reddish-brown eyes and either dark brown or pale flesh-colored bills. Their legs are pale, fleshy brown or pale, fleshy pink. Both males and females look very similar.
- Length – Average 4.53 in (11.5 cm)
- Weight – 0.35-0.39 oz (10-11 g)
Habitat: Tropical Scrubwrens are found in dense, wet rainforests, particularly those with low, thick vegetation, such as vine thickets.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Tropical Scrubwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Tropical Scrubwrens occur in the highlands of New Guinea.
15.10. Vogelkop Scrubwren (Sericornis rufescens)
Description: Vogelkop Scrubwrens are small, plump birds characterized by their short tails. They have olive-brown upperparts and beige foreheads, along with prominent, thick beige eye-rings. Their tails are brown with a blackish subterminal band. The underparts are pale cream, featuring whitish bellies, dark brown eyes, blackish bills, and whitish-brown legs. Both males and females have similar appearances.
- Length – Average 3.94 in (10 cm)
- Weight – 0.35-0.53 oz (10-15 g)
Habitat: Vogelkop Scrubwrens are found in mid-montane forests, as well as in areas of secondary growth and local village gardens.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Vogelkop Scrubwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Vogelkop Scrubwrens are endemic to West Papua, Indonesia.
15.11. White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis)
Description: White-browed Scrubwrens are medium-sized scrubwrens characterized by distinctive patterns on their heads, featuring dark olive-brown upper parts with black shoulder patches and brown tails marked by dark gray subterminal bands. Their middle and greater wing coverts are black, with white tips. Their faces have broad white eyebrows (supercilium) and sub-moustachial stripes, and the areas between these stripes are black, becoming greyer near their ears. Their foreheads are also black.
White-browed Scrubwrens have whitish throats that may feature some blackish stains. Their underparts range from creamy to pale yellow, while their breasts are gray, and their flanks are rufous-brown. They often display faint dark streaks on their breasts. These birds have yellow eyes, dark gray bills, and pinkish-gray legs. Males and females are similar in appearance, although females tend to be somewhat duller, particularly on their faces.
- Length – 4.13-5.90 in (10.5-15 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.49 oz (14 g)
Habitat: White-browed Scrubwrens inhabit dense undergrowth in various vegetation types, including eucalyptus forests, open forests, woodlands, and coastal heathlands.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the White-browed Scrubwrens as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: White-browed Scrubwrens are found on the New England Tablelands and coastal areas of Australia.
15.12. Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Sericornis citreogularis)
Description: Yellow-throated Scrubwrens are small birds with dark olive-brown crowns and upperparts. They have distinctive black face masks and foreheads, bordered by a narrow pale brow that transitions from white in front of the eye to yellow behind it and bright yellow throats below. Their wings are dark brown and edged with yellow.
The underparts of Yellow-throated Scrubwrens transition from yellow throats to white bellies, with olive wash on their flanks. They have extensive brownish spots on their chests and flanks, while the undersides of their tails are dark brownish-gray. Their eyes can be either crimson or plum, and their bills are black. They possess relatively long legs that are cream to pinkish-gray in color. Although males and females are similar in appearance, females typically have brown face masks and foreheads.
- Length – 4.72-5.91 in (12-15 cm)
- Weight – Average 0.63 oz (18 g)
Habitat: Yellow-throated Scrubwrens are found in rainforests and wet, timbered gullies with dense vegetation.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Yellow-throated Scrubwren as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Yellow-throated Scrubwrens are endemic to Australia.
16. Genus Ifritidae
There is only one species within this genus.
16.1. Blue-capped Ifrita (Ifrita kowaldi)
Description: Blue-capped Ifritas are an ancient relict species with stout bodies and short, rounded wings. They have brown upperparts with dotted wing edges and striking black feathers on their crowns, which are tipped with bright blue. Notable features include a long white orbital stripe behind their eyes and an eye ring interrupted by a black line.
The underparts of Blue-capped Ifritas are yellowish, having paler throats, lighter lower bellies, and olive flanks. They have dark brown eyes and bills, while their legs are olive-gray. Both sexes look similar; however, females have ochre stripes behind their eyes, whereas males have white stripes in the same area.
- Length – 6.3-6.69 in (16-17 cm)
- Weight – 1.2–1.3 oz (34–36 g)
Habitat: Blue-capped Ifritas inhabit montane forests, in particular Mossy Forests.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Blue-capped Ifrita as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Blue-capped Ifritas are endemic to New Guinea.
Conclusion
Australian warblers are very adaptable birds found throughout Australasia, playing a vital role in the ecosystem. Despite their plain appearance, their behaviors, like territorial defense and foraging, showcase their resilience. Studying them enhances our appreciation for the region’s biodiversity and highlights the need to conserve their habitats.
Unfortunately, climate change poses a significant threat to these warblers, leading to increased mortality from extreme heat and reduced food and shelter availability. Conservation efforts are focused on protecting their habitats, combating deforestation, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. These initiatives are vital not only for the survival of Australian warblers but also for preserving the broader ecological balance.
