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Chestnut-rumped and Yellow-rumped Thornbills
While at Bendleby Ranges in the Flinders Ranges recently, I logged my first Chestnut-rumped Thornbill. I also logged a Yellow-rumped Thornbill for only the second time.
First, the Chestnut-rumped Thornbill. I love the clear, inquisitive eyes of these little birds:
This shot shows the chestnut-coloured patch above its tail that gives the bird its name:
Common name: Chestnut-rumped Thornbill
Scientific name: Acanthiza uropygialis
Length: 9-10 cm
Date spotted: 11 September 2026 (spring)
Location: Bendleby Ranges in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia: 32°21’13.7″S 138°47’34.8″E
The next bird is a Yellow-rumped Thornbill. It’s easily identifiable by the yellow patch above its tail and the black streak through its eye:
Common name: Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Scientific name: Acanthiza chrysorrhoa
Length: 11-12 cm
Date spotted: 12 September 2026 (spring)
Location: Bendleby Ranges in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia: 32°21’13.7″S 138°47’34.8″E
Thornbills at Lake Windamere
Lake Windamere is on the Cudgegong River, near Mudgee in the NSW Central Tablelands. We stopped there for a break while travelling westwards from Sydney at the start of our Outback trip. Several small birds flitted amongst the trees at the water’s edge, including Yellow-rumped and Yellow Thornbills. Although these are common birds, both are firsts for me. I’ve only sighted a Brown Thornbill before.
Here’s a Yellow-rumped Thornbill, looking spiffing with its black-and-white spotted forehead, dark eye stripe, and throat shading from buff to yellow:
Another Yellow-rumped Thornbill, looking not quite as smart:
Next is a Yellow Thornbill:
We were at the end of the lake near Windamere Dam:
Common names: Yellow-rumped Thornbill and Yellow Thornbill
Scientific name: Acanthiza chrysorrhoa and Acanthiza nana
Length: 11-12 cm and 9-10 cm
Date spotted: 17 May 2024 (autumn)
Location: Lake Windamere, Cudgegong, New South Wales, Australia: 32°43’35.7″S 149°46’14.2″E
Brown Thornbill in the rain
This is my first recording of a Brown Thornbill. They’re tiny little birds (about 10 cm long from tip of beak to end of tail) that spend their time in the middle-to-low area of a forest. This one was dodging raindrops in search of insects:
Brown Thornbills have a soft colouring of light brown to fawn, with darker edges to the tail and wings. The chin, throat and breast have light grey speckles:
The little bird puffed itself up to ward off the cold and wet, much as I was doing by huddling in my cosy warm jacket.
Common name: Brown Thornbill
Scientific name: Acanthiza pusilla
Length: 9.5-10.5 cm
Date spotted: Sunday 31 December 2023 (summer)
Location: Blue Mountains National Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°33’58.9″S 150°20’40.8″E
