Eastern Spinebill
Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
The male eastern spinebill is 13–16 cm (5–6.5 in) long, and has a long thin downcurved black bill with a black head, white throat with a chestnut patch and red iris. It has a brownish-red nape, a grey-brown back and pale cinnamon underparts. The dark tail is tipped with white laterally. Females are smaller with olive-grey crown, similar in colouring to male but slightly duller; and juveniles are pale warm cinnamon below with grey to olive-brown upperparts, a brown-red eye and orange base to the bill.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Western Spinebill
Acanthorhynchus superciliosus
The western spinebill is a small honeyeater with a slender, curved bill. It ranges in length from 12 to 16 cm (4.7 to 6.3 in), and in weight from 8–11 g (0.28–0.39 oz). Males are, on average, slightly larger than females. The sexes differ somewhat in plumage. The male is dark olive-grey above with a chestnut nape. Below, his throat and breast are chestnut, edged below with a white band and a black band; his abdomen is buff. He has a white eyebrow and a black mask, and white outer tail feathers which are 'flirted' in flight. The female is plainer, with a pale rufous nape. Voice: The high, shrill, staccato piping of the western spinebill is transcribed as kleet-kleet or kleat-kleat.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where you might meet both
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Eastern Spinebill and Western Spinebill.