Bird Guide

Brown Thornbill vs Striated Thornbill

Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla)

Brown Thornbill

Acanthiza pusilla

Tiny8 gShrubland

The brown thornbill is warm brown to olive-brown above, with flanks of olive-buff to yellowish white. It has buff scallops on the forehead and large dark red eyes. There are blackish streaks on a grey throat and breast, a tawny rump and tail base, and a black subterminal band with paler tips on the tail. The brown thornbill ranges in size from 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in), making it relatively small. It typically weighs 7 g (0.25 oz). Voice: Brown thornbills are skilled mimics and also respond to humans imitating their calls. The calls have been described as "rich, musical warble". Their calls vary from a mellow baritone pee-orr, high whistles with rapid cascading trills, to many squeaks and churrs.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: James Ray · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: patrickkavanagh · CC BY 2.0
Striated Thornbill (Acanthiza lineata)

Striated Thornbill

Acanthiza lineata

Tiny7 gForest

The adult striated thornbill is 9–10 centimetres (3.5–3.9 in) long and weighs around 7 grams (0.25 oz). It has a russet- or orange-brown crown with cream streaks, dull yellow-olive upperparts, olive-grey flanks, and cream underparts heavily streaked with black. The brown thornbill (A. pusilla) is similar but lacks the white-streaked orange-brown cap and lives in shrubs.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: James Ray · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Brown Thornbill and Striated Thornbill.