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Tropical Scrubwren
(Sericornis beccarii)
Size: 11-12 cm
Weight: 8-12 g
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Tropical Scrubwrens are very small birds found in wet
forest.
They have homogeously greyish-brown upperparts, from
head to tail, and lighter greyish underparts.
Their distinguishing features are faint creamy to off-white
loral spots that can combine with eye-rings into what looks
like supercilia and black primary wing coverts with a
narrow white wing bar.
Males
of race
"minimus" have the strongest facial markings, which are
white to off-white.
Females
of race
"minimus" have more inconspicuous, off-white loral spots
that do not connect with the thin eye-rings.
Overall, race "dubius" shows less colour contrast between front
and back.
Males
of race "dubius" have yet fainter facial markings and
females
of that race have almost unmarked faces, with very inconspicuous
loral spots and eye-rings.
Juveniles
have basically no facial markings and weaker "shoulder patches",
with almost no white wing bars yet.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Tropical
Scrubwren at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
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The global distribution of the Tropical Scrubwren is available
HERE
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The range of the Tropical Scrubwrens extends from West Papua via
New Guinea to far north-eastern Australia.
In Australia there are two races of Tropical Scrubwrens.
The range of race
"minimus"
encompasses the northern part of Cape York peninsula, as far to the
South as Iron Range NP, QLD.
Farther South, in a small area southward of Cape Melville, QLD,
race "dubius" is found.
Tropical Scrubwrens have a preference for dense, wet rainforest, especially with dense,
low vegetation, such as vine thickets.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "minimus"
B. Hensen reports spotting a Tropical Scrubwren, race "minimus", at Iron Range NP,
Cape York peninsula, QLD, in December 2018.
M. Eaton reports finding a pair of Tropical Scrubwrens, race
"minimus",
at Iron Range NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, in August 2019, when
they were observed feeding a juvenile
Chestnut-breasted
Cuckoo.
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Photos |
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Race "minimus"
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ADULT |
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FEMALE |
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Lateral view of a Tropical Scrubwren; note the faint loral spot
and eye-ring (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Iron Range NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, December 2018]
Lateral view of a Tropical Scrubwren; note the black primary
coverts with narrow white wing bar
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Iron Range NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, December 2018]
Ventral view of a
Tropical Scrubwren
with its host's offspring, a juvenile
Chestnut-breasted
Cuckoo
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Iron Range NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Tropical Scrubwren
feeding its host's offspring, a juvenile
Chestnut-breasted
Cuckoo
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Iron Range NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
