| Inland Thornbill | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Pardalotidae |
| Genus: | Acanthiza |
| Species: | A. apicalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Acanthiza apicalis Gould, 1847 |
|
| Subspecies | |
|
Acanthiza apicalis apicalis |
|
The Inland Thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis), commonly called the Broad-tailed Thornbill, is a small, insect-eating bird of Australia. The Inland Thornbill is commonly confused with the coastal Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla) due to its similar colorations.[2] The Inland Thornbill encompasses four subspecies [3]:
The thornbill ranges in size from 9 to 11 centimeters, averaging 10 centimeters and 7 grams.[4] The bird has a grey-brown back, a reddish rump, and a dark tail with a white tip. Its underbelly is cream colored with black streaks. Both male and female thornbills look similar, though male birds tend to be a bit larger.[4]
Breeding season lasts from July through December. Female thornbills average three eggs per clutch, which incubate for 19 days. Baby birds leave the nest after 17 days.[4]
The thornbill can be found throughout Australia inland of the Great Dividing Range, but not in tropical northern climates or in Tasmania.[2] The Inland Thornbill overlaps in range with the Brown Thornbill along the Great Diving Range, leading to numerous mis-sightings.[4] Inland thornbills live in dry scrublands and woodlands. In Southwestern Australia, they also inhabit sand heaths and karri and jarrah forests.[4] It feeds on small insects and spiders, and occasionally seeds and small vegetable matter, beneath shrubs and in foliage.