Inland Thornbill

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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
Acanthiza apicalis albiventris
Acanthiza apicalis cinerascens
Acanthiza apicalis whitlocki

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]

  • A. a. apicalis
  • A. a. albiventris
  • A. a. cinerascens
  • A. a. whitlocki

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.

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Acanthiza apicalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Oz Birds: Inland Thornbill. 2006. Accessible via
  3. ↑ Taxonomy Question
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Birds in Backyards: Inland Thornbill Factsheet. Australian Museum. 2006. Accessible via:
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