Eastern Spinebill David Cook Wildlife Photography

Eastern Spinebill

Did You Know?

Its average weight is only 11 grams
It has a brush-tipped tongue for feeding on nectar

The top of the adult male's head is grey-black, extending in a line down either side of its white breast. Its throat is also white, with a rufous patch in the centre. Its wings and lower back are dark metallic grey and its upper back and underneath are buff. In flight, its white outer tail feathers are visible. The female has similar but duller colouring. A young bird has less distinct markings with dark olive on top of its head, a white chin and throat and a cinnamon chest and belly.

Distinctive feature

It has a very long, fine beak that curves downward.

Size

13 - 16 cm long (from head to tail)

Behaviour

Call

A short, repetitive, high-pitched piping. During flight it twitters.

Diet

Insects and nectar from a wide variety of flowers including grevilleas, epacrids (heaths) and other flowering shrubs. It extracts the nectar while perched or hovering.

Flight

Energetic - fast and erratic.

Movement

It remains in some areas throughout the year, sometimes with local movements. In other areas it occurs seasonally, often descending from higher altitudes to spend autumn and winter in lowland areas to escape the winter chill, and then returning to the hills in spring.

Breeding

Both sexes collect nesting material, but only the female builds the nest, which is small and cup-shaped, made from twigs, grass and bark, and lined with hair and spider's web. She then lays two eggs which she incubates for about 14 days. Both parents feed the young for a further 14 days.

Field Guide

Improve your identification skills. Download your Eastern Spinebill field guide here!

What to Observe

Presence (to establish the arrival date and last sighting for individuals that migrate from higher altitudes)
Courting/Mating
Calling
Feeding
Bird on chicks
Bird on eggs
Bird on nest
Bird feeding young

When and Where

When To Look

From August to January for breeding behaviour
From March/April to September/October for migratory birds that have moved to lowland areas; they are found in higher areas the rest of the year
Young birds are in the nest for about 14 days

Where To Look

Within Australia it is generally found on the Great Dividing Range and in adjacent coastal areas, from Cooktown in northern Queensland, south to Tasmania and west to the Flinders Ranges in South Australia
In forests, heath and woodlands, it is also commonly seen in urban parks and gardens
In urban gardens around flowers, particularly fuchsias and correas
It can also be seen feeding on flowering shrubs in forests
Its nest is usually in dense foliage in a shrub or tree, up to five metres from the ground

Similar Species

The Western Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus superciliosus) is very similar but not found in the same area.

« Eastern Koel Eastern Yellow Robin »