Bird Guide

Little Thornbird vs Streak-fronted Thornbird

Little Thornbird (Phacellodomus sibilatrix)

Little Thornbird

Phacellodomus sibilatrix

Small16 gWoodland

The little thornbird is 13 to 14 cm (5.1 to 5.5 in) long and weighs about 14 to 16 g (0.49 to 0.56 oz). It is the smallest member of its genus. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a wide dull buff-whitish supercilium that extends beyond the eye and an indistinct dull brown stripe behind the eye on an otherwise light brownish face. Their forehead is light rufous with pale streaks, their crown and back dull brown, and their rump and uppertail coverts rufescent-tinged brown. Their wings are mostly shades of brown with darker brown primary coverts and some rufescence. Voice: The little thornbird's song is "a duetted series of sharp, piercing, loud and straight tee tee tees, where one bird goes faster than the other (three notes for two) so the effect is a tee teeter tee teeter teeter tee tee teeter...". Its call is "a sharp 'chip', often repeated".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Little Thornbird
Recorded by Capovilla Pablo H · Call · Capivara, San Cristóbal, Santa Fe, Argentina · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Nicolas Olejnik · CC BY 4.0
Streak-fronted Thornbird (Phacellodomus striaticeps)

Streak-fronted Thornbird

Phacellodomus striaticeps

Small29 gShrubland

The streak-fronted thornbird is 16 to 17 cm (6.3 to 6.7 in) long and weighs about 23 to 29 g (0.81 to 1.0 oz). It is a rather small and slim thornbird. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have an indistinct gray-buff supercilium, blackish lores with some gray-buff, and a dark brown stripe behind the eye on an otherwise rufous-washed brownish face. Their forehead ("front") is a mix of blackish and reddish with brown streaks. Their crown is paler, browner, and unstreaked. Their upperparts are mostly rich dark brown with a slightly paler rump. Voice: The streak-fronted thornbird's song is "wip wip weep weep WEEEP weep weep weep wip wip, rising and falling in volume and pitch", and further described as "piercing, loud, and almost hysterical". Its calls are "an irregular series of squeaky 'jit' or 'tsip' notes also a loud trill".

ID text from Wikipedia, 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: Little Thornbird and Streak-fronted Thornbird.