17

Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Sericornis citreogularis) Alternate name(s): "Devil-bird", "Blacknest-bird" Size: 12-14 cm Body mass: 14-22 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 Spotted 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 Dusky 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-throated Scrubwrens are small forest birds. They have a dark grey-brown back with black shoulder patches, a brown tail and a lighter front, with a yellow throat, brownish sides and white belly. Their most characteristic feature is a broad, prominent black eye stripe bordered by yellow from the throat and the yellow eyebrows. The only difference between the sexes is that male Yellow-throated Scrubwrens have a black and yellow facial mask, while that of females is brown and yellow. The irises of both sexes are deep-red. The bill is dark-grey, the legs and feet are pinkish-grey. Juveniles of both sexes have duller colours than adults of the same sex.

Taxonomy, classification See Yellow-throated Scrubwren 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-throated Scrubwren is available HERE . Yellow-throated Scrubwrens are endemic to Australia. There are three races of Yellow-throated Scrubwrens, all of which are found along the East coast of the Australian continent. Race "cairnsi" populates dense forests in the tablelands around Cairns, QLD. Race "intermedius" lives along the coastline of southern QLD into northern NSW, up to the Clarence River valley. South of the Clarence River, nominate race "citreogularis" is found, whose range extends to almost the NSW/VIC border. Yellow-throated Scrubwrens can be found in dense wet forest or rainforest, often in or near gullies. They spend a lot of time foraging through leaf litter on the ground.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "citreogularis" Yellow-throated Scrubwrens, nominate race "citreogularis", were first spotted by us at Dorrigo NP, northern NSW, in July 2009. Since then they are found by us there regularly. Race "citreogularis" was also seen by us at Ourimbah Creek RTA Reserve, Ourimbah, NSW, in June 2011. Subsequently they were also observed at Wingham Brush NR, NSW. Race "intermedius" A. Ross-Taylor reports spotting Yellow-throated Scrubwrens, race "intermedius", regularly at O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD. They were also spotted there by other contributors and ourselves. M. Eaton reports finding Yellow-throated Scrubwrens, race "intermedius", at Bunya Mountains NP, QLD, in March 2018. Others were found at O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, in November 2024. Race "cairnsi" M. Eaton reports finding Yellow-throated Scrubwrens, race "cairnsi", at Mt. Lewis NP, QLD, in August 2023.

Photos

Race "citreogularis"

ADULT

MALE

Dorsal view of a male(?) Yellow-throated Scrubwren in rainforest with very little undergrowth, but plenty of leaf litter - note the black facial mask
[Wingham Brush NR, NSW, September 2011]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Yellow-throated Scrubwren - note the dark-red irises, which indicate that this is a (probably moulting) adult bird
[Dorrigo NP, NSW, January 2011]

Lateral view of a female Yellow-throated Scrubwren - note the dark-brown facial mask (rather than black), indicating that this is a female
[Dorrigo NP, NSW, January 2011]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up lateral view of a fledgling female Yellow-throated Scrubwren - note the yellow gape
[Dorrigo NP, NSW, January 2011]

Close-up lateral view of a fledgling female Yellow-throated Scrubwren needing a good stretch
[Dorrigo NP, NSW, January 2011]

Race "intermedius"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Yellow-throated Scrubwren; note the black facial mask that is clearly much darker than the crown
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Lamington NP, QLD, August 2013]

Frontal view of a male Yellow-throated Scrubwren looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lamington NP, QLD, November 2024]

Near-frontal view of a male Yellow-throated Scrubwren
[Lamington NP, QLD, May 2014]

Near-lateral view of a male Yellow-throated Scrubwren (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, April 2013]

Close-up lateral view of a male Yellow-throated Scrubwren (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Lamington NP, QLD, November 2020]

Lateral view of a male Yellow-throated Scrubwren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lamington NP, QLD, January 2020]

Close-up lateral view of a male Yellow-throated Scrubwren (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, May 2014]

Dorsal view of a male(?) Yellow-throated Scrubwren
[Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, May 2014]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a female Yellow-throated Scrubwren - note the dark-brown facial mask that is barely darker than the crown (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, July 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a female Yellow-throated Scrubwren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, March 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Dorsal view of a juvenile female Yellow-throated Scrubwren looking back at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bunya Mountains NP, QLD, March 2018]

Race "cairnsi"

ADULT

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Yellow-throated Scrubwren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mt. Lewis NP, QLD, August 2023]

Near-lateral view of a female Yellow-throated Scrubwren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mt. Lewis NP, QLD, August 2023]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jul - Feb

Eggs: 2 - 3

Incubation period: 21 days

Fledging age: ?

The breeding season listed in the table above is a core period. Depending on geographical latitude and on circumstances, Yellow-throated Scrubwrens can, in principle, breed at any time of year.

Nest building: Female & male

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

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

Type: Domed hanging bottle

Material: Rootlets, moss, lichen, ferns

Height above ground: 1.5 - ? m

Yellow-throated Scrubwren nest that is still under construction
[Dorrigo NP, NSW, August 2015]

Near-frontal view of a female Yellow-throated Scrubwren bringing material for its nest (shown above)
[Dorrigo NP, NSW, August 2015]

Yellow-throated Scrubwren nest about 1.5 m above the ground; at the time the photo was taken, this nest was not in use
[Dorrigo NP, NSW, March 2015]

Yellow-throated Scrubwren nest with its side entrance visible (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2024]

Eggs

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

Size: 25 x 18 mm

Colour: Creamy, with some light-brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Food, Diet

Yellow-throated Scrubwrens forage through leaf litter in dense forest or tree bark for small insects.

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.

ytscrwr_20140522_1.mp3	intermedius (SE QLD)	Q&A	© MD
ytscrwr_20150328.m4a	intermedius (NE NSW)	Alarm calls(?)	© MD
ytscrwr_20140522_3.mp3	intermedius (SE QLD)	Annoyed call	© MD
ytscrwr_20140522.mp3	intermedius (SE QLD)	Foraging (with Australian Brush-turkey)	© MD

More Yellow-throated Scrubwren 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.