Inland thornbill

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Inland thornbill
Inland Thornbill (5669197054) - edit.jpg

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Acanthizidae
Genus: Acanthiza
Species:
A. apicalis
Binomial name
Acanthiza apicalis
Gould, 1847
Subspecies[2]
  • A. a. cinerascens - Schodde & Mason, IJ, 1999
  • A. a. whitlocki - North, 1909
  • A. a. apicalis - Gould, 1847
  • A. a. albiventris - North, 1904

The inland thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis), also 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.[3] The inland thornbill encompasses four subspecies:[4]

  • Acanthiza apicalis albiventris
  • Acanthiza apicalis apicalis, the nominate subsp.
  • Acanthiza apicalis cinerascens
  • Acanthiza apicalis whitlocki, originally described as a species of Acanthiza by A. J. North, who was requested to honour the collector of its specimens, F. Lawson Whitlock, by the sponsor of the expedition, H. L. White.[5]

The inland thornbill ranges in size from 9 to 11 centimetres, averaging 10 centimetres and 7 grams.[6] 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.[6]

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.[6]

The inland thornbill can be found throughout Australia inland of the Great Dividing Range, but not in tropical northern climates or in Tasmania.[3] The inland thornbill overlaps in range with the brown thornbill along the Great Dividing Range, leading to numerous mis-sightings.[6] Inland thornbills live in dry scrublands and woodlands. In Southwestern Australia, they also inhabit sand heaths and karri and jarrah forests.[6] It feeds on small insects and spiders, and occasionally seeds and small vegetable matter, beneath shrubs and in foliage.

References[]

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Acanthiza apicalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22731025A95031265. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22731025A95031265.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ^ Gill F, D Donsker & P Rasmussen (Eds). 2020. IOC World Bird List (v10.2). doi : 10.14344/IOC.ML.10.2.
  3. ^ a b Oz Birds: Inland Thornbill. 2006. Accessible via
  4. ^ Taxonomy Question
  5. ^ Whitlock, F. L. (1910). "On the East Murchison. Four months collecting trip". The Emu. Melbourne : Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union. 9 (4): 198. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e Birds in Backyards: Inland Thornbill Factsheet. Australian Museum. 2006. Accessible via: [1]

External links[]

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