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18

Western Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus superciliosus) Alternate name(s): "White-browed Spinebill" Aboriginal name(s): "booldjit" Size: 12-16 cm Weight: 8-11 g

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Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Western Spinebills are very small nectar-eating birds. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male Western Spinebills have a thin white eyebrow starting above each eye, which gives the species its name. The eyes are surrounded by wide black eye stripes, under which there are wider white stripes that connect to form a crescent under the chin. The crown is dark olive-grey; the chestnut-brown nape of the neck connects on the sides with a large chestnut throat and chest patch. Below that patch there are two horizontal bands, the upper one being white, the lower one black. The shoulders, belly, vent and undertail coverts are creamy to buff. The rest of the back is dark grey-brown. The outer feathers of the otherwise dark-grey tail have white subterminal patches. Female Western Spinebills have, except for a small whitish chin patch, an all creamy to buff front, from the throat to the undertail coverts. They have an inconspicuous, thin light-grey eyebrow. The nape of the neck is chestnut and the rest of the back is identical to males'. The eyes of both sexes have red irises. The very long, slender, slightly down-curved bill is black. The legs and feet are dark-grey. Juveniles have duller colours and dark irises, but otherwise resemble females.

Taxonomy, classification See Western Spinebill 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 Western Spinebill is available HERE . Western Spinebills are endemic to Australia. They are found only in south-western WA, up to about Geraldton in the North, through the hills to the East of Perth, and from there up to Cape Arid NP on the WA South coast. Western Spinebills have a preference for heath and coastal banksia woodland. They can also be found in gardens.

Sightings Click here for sighting information J. Greaves reports spotting Western Spinebills at Bungendore Park, near Perth, WA, in June 2015, at Dryandra Woodlands, near Narrogin, WA, in May 2018, and at Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, in June 2020. All photographic and sighting information presented on this page has kindly been contributed by J. Greaves.

Photos

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Western Spinebill (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Bungendore Park, near Perth, WA, June 2015]

Near-lateral view of a male Western Spinebill (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Bungendore Park, near Perth, WA, June 2015]

Lateral view of a moulting male Western Spinebill with its tongue sticking out (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, June 2020]

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female Western Spinebill; note the much plainer plumage than the males' (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, June 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a female Western Spinebill in a Dryandra shrub, in which it was feeding; note the absence of a facial mask and frontal bar pattern (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Bungendore Park, near Perth, WA, June 2015]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Distant near-lateral view of a juvenile Western Spinebill; note the yellow gape (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Dryandra Woodlands, near Narrogin, WA, May 2018]

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.

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