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17

Weebill

(Smicrornis brevirostris)
Alternate name(s): "Scrub-tit", "Tree-tit", "Brown Weebill", "Yellow Weebill", "Short-billed Scrub-tit"
Aboriginal name(s): "kiderbot" (WA)

Size: 8.5-9.5 cm
Weight: 4-8 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Weebill at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "brevirostris"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Close-up frontal view of a Weebill (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Dripping Rock, near Maules Creek, NSW, October 2012]

Frontal view of a Weebill
[Bullawa Creek SCA, NSW, August 2011]

Frontal/ventral view of a Weebill
[Near Narrabri, NSW, August 2019]

Near-lateral portrait of a Weebill (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Dripping Rock, near Maules Creek, NSW, October 2012]

Near-lateral view of a Weebill looking at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Roma Bush Gardens, Roma, QLD, August 2022]

Near-lateral view of a Weebill (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Roma Bush Gardens, Roma, QLD, August 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a Weebill
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2022]

Lateral view of a Weebill
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, December 2019]

Lateral view of a Weebill hanging off a twig, head down
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2023]

Lateral/ventral view of a Weebill
[Between Pilliga and Burren Junction, NSW, May 2018]

Lateral/ventral view of a Weebill
[Near Narrabri, NSW, December 2021]

Lateral/ventral view of a Weebill
[Near Narrabri, NSW, December 2021]

Lateral/ventral view of a Weebill
[Bullawa Creek SCA, near Narrabri, NSW, November 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Weebill (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Roma Bush Gardens, Roma, QLD, August 2022]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Weebill looking back
[Bugilbone, NSW, December 2015]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a preening Weebill
[Near Narrabri, NSW, August 2019]

Dorsal view of a Weebill
[Near Narrabri, NSW, December 2021]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Juvenile Weebill foraging on its own; this bird was seen and heard around our place for several weeks, always alone; its calls were recorded on 7 February 2015
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2015]

Two fledgling Weebills waiting to be fed
[Bullawa Creek SCA, NSW, June 2008]

Two fledgling Weebills waiting to be fed
[Bullawa Creek SCA, NSW, June 2008]

Race "occidentalis"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Weebill
[Arkaroola, SA, March 2008]

Frontal/ventral view of a Weebill issuing its call (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Koondoola Reserve, Perth, WA, July 2016]

Near-frontal view of a Weebill
[Arkaroola, SA, March 2008]

Near-frontal view of a Weebill looking down
[Arkaroola, SA, March 2008]

Lateral view of a Weebill with its head turned towards the observer
[Arkaroola, SA, March 2008]

Lateral view of a Weebill issuing its call (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Koondoola Reserve, Perth, WA, July 2016]

Lateral view of a Weebill issuing its call (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Koondoola Reserve, Perth, WA, July 2016]

Lateral view of a Weebill (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Between Berri and Renmark, SA, September 2018]

Race "flavescens"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Weebill (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Weebill (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Weebill (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Weebill (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Close-up lateral view of a Weebill (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Lateral view of a Weebill (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Weebill (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Weebill (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Marrakai track, NT, August 2013]

Breeding information

Breeding season: July - May Eggs: 2 - 3 Incubation period: 10 - 12 days Fledging age: ?

The breeding season of Weebills depends on geographic latitude and climatic conditions. They can breed almost any time of the year.

Nest building: ? Incubation: Female Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Dome Material: Grass, soft plant fibres, cobwebs Height above ground: 3 - ? m

Nests of Weebills are usually placed in the tops of live trees and shrubs, concealed in dense foliage.

View of a Weebill nest that was built uncharacteristically low in a eucalypt, only 2 m above ground
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2022]

View from below of a Weebill nest in the top of a young eucalypt, showing clearly the side entrance
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2018]

From the side, even when standing at the level of the tree crown, the same Weebill nest as shown above is hard to find
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2018]

Weebill nest right at the top of a young tree
[Bullawa Creek SCA, NSW, October 2018]

Weebill nest right at the top of a young tree
[Bullawa Creek SCA, NSW, October 2018]

Weebill that flew straight to this point on a steep creek bank to harvest the web of a small spider for binding its nest
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2018]

Weebill harvesting the web of a small spider for binding its nest
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2018]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 15 x 11 mm Colour: Creamy, with greyish-brown speckles Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial?/ roaming? Mobility: Sedentary Elementary unit: Family clan

Weebills are so light-weight, they can without problems hang off the end of a eucalypt leaf
[Near Narrabri, NSW, May 2021]

Food, Diet

Weebills forage through the foliage in the crowns of trees for small insects.

Weebill taking a spider
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2020]

An unusual sight: Weebill foraging on the ground
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2019]

An unusual sight: Weebill with a small insect taking on the ground
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2019]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

weebill_20200824.m4a brevirostris
(NW NSW)
Territorial calls? © MD
weebill_20230729.mp3 brevirostris
(NW NSW)
Territorial calls? (Q&A) © MD
weebill_20170920.m4a brevirostris
(W NSW)
Territorial calls? (Q&A) © MD
weebill_20181215.m4a brevirostris
(W NSW)
Territorial calls? (Q&A) © MD
weebill_20170920_2.m4a brevirostris
(W NSW)
Various © MD
weebill_20200816.m4a brevirostris
(NW NSW)
Various © MD
weebill_20180902.m4a brevirostris
(NW NSW)
? © MD
 
weebill_jg_20160710.m4a occidentalis
(SW WA)
Feeding calls & contact call © JG
 
weebill_pb_20180708.m4a flavescens
(Top End, NT)
Contact call © PB
weebill_pb_20200609.m4a flavescens
(Top End, NT)
Contact call © PB
weebill_pb_20190709.m4a flavescens
(Top End, NT)
Contact calls Q&A © PB

We have also recorded a Weebill's wing beat.

weebill_20180902_2.m4a brevirostris
(NW NSW)
Level flight © MD
weebill_20200816_2.m4a brevirostris
(NW NSW)
Foraging © MD

More Weebill sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.