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Western Spinebill
(Acanthorhynchus superciliosus)
: "White-browed Spinebill"
Aboriginal name(s): "booldjit"
Size: 12-16 cm
Weight: 8-11 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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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.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Western
Spinebill 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
.
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.
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Sightings |
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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.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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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]
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FEMALE |
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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]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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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.