17

Weebill

(Smicrornis brevirostris)
Alternative names: "Scrub-tit", "Tree-tit"
Size: 8.5-9.5 cm

Habitat
(for details refer to a field guide)

There are in total four races of Weebills that populate almost the entire Australian continent, with the exception of the catchment of the tributaries to Lake Eyre and most of WA to the south of the Kimberleys and the Nullarbor. Nominate race "brevirostris" populates eastern and central QLD and NSW and all of VIC. Race "flavescens" is found in western QLD and the Cape York peninsula, plust the entire NT and the Kimberleys in WA. Race "occidentalis" lives in an area including the westernmost edge of NSW (west of Broken Hill), southern SA and south-eastern WA (along the west coast up to about Dirk Hartog Island. Race "ochrogaster" is found in the northern half of western WA, up to the catchment of the Fitzroy River, and along a narrow stretch from central WA towards the NT/SA border.

Weebills are usually found in forest, often eucalypt forest, including dry forest, and open woodland. They normally stay high up in the tree crowns.

Sightings

Weebills were spotted by us 20 km south of Narrabri, 25 km east of Narrabri and also 20 km west of Barraba, NSW.

Later spotted also in various parts of the Pilliga scrub, south of Narrabri, NSW.

Photos of Weebills, including fledgling birds, were obtaind at Bullawa Creek State Conservation Area, 15 km east of Narrabri, in June 2008 and August 2011.

Photos

Frontal view of a Weebill

Here a different posture of the same bird as shown above

More lateral view of a Weebill

Two fledgling Weebills waiting to be fed

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial?/ roaming? Mobility: Sedentary Elementary unit: Family clan

Food

Weebills forage through the foliage in the crowns of trees for small insects.