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17

Yellow-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa) Alternate name(s): "Yellow-tailed Thornbill", "Yellow-rumped Tit", "Yellow-rumped Tit-Warbler", "Yellow-tail", "Chigaree" Aboriginal name(s): Race "chrysorrhoa": "djidbot" Size: 11-12 cm Weight: 8-10 g

Australia: Family Group 17 Family Group 17 Table Spotted Pardalote Forty-spotted Pardalote Red-browed Pardalote Striated Pardalote Large-billed Scrubwren Atherton Scrubwren White-browed Scrubwren Tasmanian Scrubwren Yellow-throated Scrubwren Pilotbird Rock Warbler Chestnut-rumped Heathwren Shy Heathwren Striated Fieldwren Rufous Fieldwren Fernwren Scrubtit Speckled Warbler Redthroat Western Gerygone Brown Gerygone Mangrove Gerygone Large-billed Gerygone Green-backed Gerygone Fairy Gerygone White-throated Gerygone Weebill Yellow Thornbill Striated Thornbill Buff-rumped Thornbill Yellow-rumped Thornbill Western Thornbill Slender-billed Thornbill Chestnut-rumped Thornbill Brown Thornbill Inland Thornbill Slaty-backed Thornbill Tasmanian Thornbill Mountain Thornbill Southern Whiteface Chestnut-breasted Whiteface Banded Whiteface Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Yellow-rumped Thornbills are very small bushland birds. They have a dark-grey forehead with prominent white spots, a white frons and a prominent white eyebrow. The ear patches are spotted. The front, from the throat downwards to the undertail coverts, is creamy, with buff sides. The cap and nape of the neck are grey, while the back is greyish olive-green and the tail is dark-grey. The grey flight feathers have an olive-green leading edge. The most prominent feature is the bright-yellow rump. The irises are greyish-brown, the bill, legs and feet are dark-grey.

Taxonomy, classification See Yellow-rumped Thornbill at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species 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 . The global distribution of the Yellow-rumped Thornbill is available HERE . Yellow-rumped Thornbills are endemic to Australia. They populate mostly the southern half of the Australian continent, South of the tropic of Capricorn, including large parts of the semi-arid interior. There are four races - for details see a field guide. Overall, Yellow-rumped Thornbills are found in southern and central QLD, the southern half of the NT, the southern half of WA, most of SA and almost all of NSW and VIC. Yellow-rumped Thornbills, nominate race "chrysorrhoa"" live roughly in the south-western half of WA, up to near the North-west Cape, and from there south-westward into and throughout the Nullarbor, into south-western SA. Yellow-rumped Thornbills, race "leighi" populate NSW, VIC and the south-eastern quarter of SA. Race "normantoni" are specialists for semi-arid country. They are present in the north-western quarter of SA, the southern half of the NT and inland QLD. Yellow-rumped Thornbills, race "leachi" are present in Tasmania, except for the island's South-West coast. There are a few exceptions to the general distribution summaries above: there are no Yellow-rumped Thornbills in the great sandy deserts of WA. They are not found in the Lake Eyre Basin, i.e. the border region of NSW, QLD and SA, either. Yellow-rumped Thornbills are usually found in lightly wooded areas, such as open forest or areas with a remnant tree population (such as e.g. farmland), and often around the fringes of woodland. Next to Buff-rumped Thornbills, they are the only species of thornbill known to us that will forage on the ground in open grassland (but usually close to trees).

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "chrysorrhoa" J. Greaves reports spotting Yellow-rumped Thornbills, nominate race "chrysorrhoa", at Manjimup, WA, in March 2015. Yellow-rumped Thornbills, nominate race "chrysorrhoa", were again spotted by J. Greaves at Bibra Lake, near Perth, WA, in September 2016. M. Eaton reports spotting Yellow-rumped Thornbills, nominate race "chrysorrhoa", at Triandra Reserve, Cockburn, WA, in April 2019. C. Pears found Yellow-rumped Thornbills, nominate race "chrysorrhoa", at Dunsborough, WA, in June 2023. Race "leighi" Yellow-rumped Thornbills, race "leighi", were regular visitors to the place where we lived from 2003 to 2006, 20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, on the edge of Jack's Creek State Forest. They were always around the place in considerable numbers. At Eulah Creek, 20 km East of Narrabri, in more open country, they were first seen less frequently, usually in autumn/winter, while other thornbills were more prominent, but have now become permanent residents. Since the 2010/11 season they are also found breeding at our place at Eulah Creek. Yellow-rumped Thornbills, race "leighi", are also resident in Deriah Aboriginal Area, in the foothills of the adjacent Great Dividing Range, a few km further East. A. Ross-Taylor reports spotting Yellow-rumped Thornbills, race "leighi", at the Spit, Gold Coast, QLD, in August 2015. A. Campbell reports spotting Yellow-rumped Thornbills, race "leighi", at Mount McEuen, QLD, in November 2016. A. Campbell reports finding Yellow-rumped Thornbills, race "leighi", at Lake Coolmundra, QLD, in May 2018. R. Plumtree reports finding Yellow-rumped Thornbills, race "leighi", occasionally in East Gippsland, VIC. Race "leachi" B. Hensen reports spotting Yellow-rumped Thornbills, race "leachi", on Bruny Island, TAS, in March 2016. M. Eaton found Yellow-rumped Thornbills, race "leachi", at Peter Murrell Reserve, near Kingston, TAS, in September 2021. Race "normantoni" M. Eaton found Yellow-rumped Thornbills, race "normantoni", in the township of Mount Isa, QLD, in July 2021. They were also found in Roma, QLD, in August 2022. Where to look? How to find this species? Yellow-rumped Thornbills are found in many locations throughout inland NSW. Amongst the various species of thornbills, they are the easiest to spot, because they can be seen foraging on the ground, and in relatively open country. Their behaviour can resemble that of some species of finches.

Photos

Race "chrysorrhoa"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Manjimup, WA, March 2015]

Lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill collecting nest material (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Bibra Lake, near Perth, WA, September 2016]

Lateral view of two Yellow-rumped Thornbills (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Dunsborough, WA, June 2023]

Dorsal view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Manjimup, WA, March 2015]

Race "leighi"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal portrait of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2022]

Frontal view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, November 2019]

Frontal view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill with its bill wide open (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, July 2019]

Frontal view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill
[Near Bugilbone, NSW, May 2017]

Frontal view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill looking for insects
[Near Bugilbone, NSW, May 2017]

Near-lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill
[Near Bugilbone, NSW, May 2017]

Near-lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill, different posture
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2015]

Close-up lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill with a conspicuously hooked upper mandible
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2022]

Lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill
[Near Bugilbone, NSW, May 2017]

Lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2016]

Lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2015]

Lateral view of a slightly dazed Yellow-rumped Thornbill that had a run-in with a window pane, but in the end recovered
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2009]

Lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill, different posture
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2016]

Close-range shot of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill on our lawn
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, February 2006]

Here another Yellow-rumped Thornbill seen foraging on the ground
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2011]

Lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill just out of the bathtub
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2007]

Yellow-rumped Thornbill trying to decide whether or not to go for another skinny-dip... (photo courtesy of A. Campbell)
[Mount McEuen, QLD, November 2016]

Near-dorsal view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a soaking wet Yellow-rumped Thornbill (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2019]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, September 2006]

Dorsal view, with a very clear view of the yellow rump giving Yellow-rumped Thornbills their name
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2012]

Here another clear view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill's yellow rump (photo courtesy of R. Druce)

Normally, even in a dorsal view, the yellow rump of Yellow-rumped Thornbills is hidden under the folded wings
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2013]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Yellow-rumped Thornbill
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, 2006]

Frontal view of a fledgling Yellow-rumped Thornbill
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2013]

Near-frontal view of a fledgling Yellow-rumped Thornbill on its first day outside the nest; while its siblings were still in the nest (and the parents trying to feed everybody) this active youngster was all about our garden, flying distances of up to 30 m
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2012]

Near-lateral view of a fledgling Yellow-rumped Thornbill from the clutch out of the fancy nest in the palm fruit shown below
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2012]

Lateral view of a fledgling Yellow-rumped Thornbill (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Gilgandra Flora Reserve, NSW, September 2013]

Near-dorsal view of a fledgling Yellow-rumped Thornbill (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Gilgandra Flora Reserve, NSW, September 2013]

Fledgling Yellow-rumped Thornbill demanding to be fed by one of its parents
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2013]

Fledgling Yellow-rumped Thornbills waiting to be fed; that year there were only two chicks
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2013]

Fledgling Yellow-rumped Thornbills waiting to be fed
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2013]

Race "leachi"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill in a meadow (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bruny Island, TAS, March 2016]

Lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Peter Murrell Reserve, near Kingston, TAS, April 2021]

Dorsal view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Peter Murrell Reserve, near Kingston, TAS, April 2021]

Race "normantoni"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Roma, QLD, August 2022]

Near-lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Roma, QLD, August 2022]

Lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, July 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, July 2021]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jul - Dec

Eggs: 3 - 4

Incubation period: 18 days

Fledging age: ca. 14 - 21 days

Nest

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

Type: Dome

Material: Grass, root fibres, webs

Height above ground: 1 - 8 m

This Yellow-rumped Thornbill nest in dense foliage of a eucalypt in our garden was quite high, about 8 m above ground
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]

Yellow-rumped Thornbill collecting lining material for the nest shown above
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]

Fruit stand of an ornamental palm hiding a fancy Yellow-rumped Thornbill nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2012]

Closer look into the fruit stand from a slightly different angle showing parts of the Yellow-rumped Thornbill nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2012]

Adult Yellow-rumped Thornbill approaching its nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2012]

Early in the 2014 breeding season, the clan of Yellow-rumped Thornbills on our property chose a Cypress pine for nesting
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2014]

Eggs

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

Size: 18 x 13 mm

Colour: White, with light-brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive

Elementary unit: Family clan

(Next to Buff-rumped Thornbills,) Yellow-rumped Thornbills are one of only two species of thornbill observed by us to regularly forage on the ground. We have seen them hunting for insects on our lawn and paddock. Having caught something, they fly to a nearby tree with dense foliage before eating the insect.

Mob of Yellow-rumped Thornbills at the local bird bath
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2023]

Yellow-rumped Thornbills like taking a shower, here under one of our garden sprinklers
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2013]

Food, Diet

Like all other members of the Acanthiza family, Yellow-rumped Thornbills hunt for small insects. We have also seen one taking a relatively large spider (see photos below). As opposed to most other thornbills, they are often found hunting on the ground, not only in the leaf litter of forests, but also in open grassland.

Lateral view of a Yellow-rumped Thornbill that has caught a bug
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2022]

This Yellow-rumped Thornbill has caught a spider
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2011]

Here one can see that the Yellow-rumped Thornbill has in fact killed the spider
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2011]

Yellow-rumped Thornbill hunting for small insects in an Acacia salicina
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2013]

This Yellow-rumped Thornbill was so keen on scraping off some kind of small white eggs attached to a twig that it decided to ignore the observer
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2017]

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.

yrthbil_20201227.m4a	leighi (NW NSW)	Contact call	© MD
yrthbil_20230428.mp3	leighi (NW NSW)	Contact calls (Q&A)	© MD
yrthbil_20191221.m4a	leighi (NW NSW)	Various (family clan)	© MD
yrthbil_20220927.mp3	leighi (NW NSW)	Various (family clan)	© MD
yrthbil_20210324.m4a	leighi (NW NSW)	Various (family clan)	© MD
yrthbil_20210426.m4a	leighi (NW NSW)	Various (family clan)	© MD
yrthbil_20230726.mp3	leighi (NW NSW)	Various (family clan)	© MD

We have also recorded the wing beats of Yellow-rumped Thornbills.

yrthbil_20140715_5.mp3	leighi (NW NSW)	Straight, level flight	© MD
yrthbil_20230603.mp3	leighi (NW NSW)	Mob buzzing around bird bath	© MD
ylthbil_20230603.mp3	(NW NSW)	Yellow Thornbill alarm call & Yellow-rumped Thornbill departure	© MD

More Yellow-rumped Thornbill 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.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Wed, 2 August 2023, 5:39 +00:00