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Inland Thornbill

(Acanthiza apicalis)
Alternative name: "Broad-tailed Thornbill"
Size: 9.5-10.5 cm

Habitat
(for details refer to a field guide)

There are four races of Inland Thornbills - for details see a field guide. They populate the semi-arid interior of the southern half of the Australian continent, i.e. the entire western half of WA up to the tropic of Capricorn, the north-western and south-eastern quarter of SA plus much of the southern half of the NT, was well as most of inland NSW and subtropical QLD. They are not found in the Simpson Desert, the Nullarbor or the eastern half of WA, not along the south or east coast of the continent and not in the tropics either (with only minor exceptions, e.g. near Mt. Isa, QLD).

Inland Thornbills can be found in low shrubs, heath and mallee in semi-arid environments.

Sightings

Our first sighting of an Inland Thornbill (race "albiventris") was in February 2006, near Gunnedah, NSW. In August 2006 seen again 20 km south-west of Narrabri. Spotted regularly in the winter months of 2007 and subsequent years since then, 20 km east of Narrabri.

Nominate race "apicalis", or a mix between different races, was sighted by us in the Flinders Ranges, SA, in March 2008.

Race "whitlocki" was spotted by us in the Gammon Ranges, SA, in March 2008.

Photos

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Race "apicalis"

Inland Thornbill drinking water from a leaking storage tank

Race "albiventris"

Frontal view against bright background light, which makes it a bit hard to see the bird's colours

Frontal view from underneath of an Inland Thornbill; one can see clearly the striated face, throat and breast

Near-frontal view of an Inland Thornbill; note the dark legs

Lateral view of the same bird as in the photo above

Close-up lateral view

Here a close-up view of a bird's underside

Inland Thornbill seen from behind, giving a clear view of the deep-brown rump

This photo shows all the characteristic features of an Inland Thornbill in one go: Striated front, deep-brown rump, red eyes and dark legs

Inland Thornbill hovering in front of a branch from which it then picked an insect

Not a great photo, but for what it's worth, here a better view of a bird's underside

Male Inland Thornbill courting a female at the end of winter

Here a male singing

The bird above was seen feeding this fledgling; here a frontal view

Fledgling Inland Thornbill, lateral view

Race "whitlocki"

Frontal view of an Inland Thornbill "whitlocki"

Lateral view of an Inland Thornbill "whitlocki"

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive Elementary unit: Family clan

Inland Thornbills are gregarious birds; although territorial with respect to others of their own species, they are seen by us regularly together with other species of thornbills.

Food

Like several other species of the Acanthiza family, Inland Thornbills hunt for small insects in low shrubs and bushes. Seen by us also hunting insects in flight.

Here an Inland Thornbill with its prey, probably a psyllid

This one looks like it has a lerp in its bill