20

Varied Sittella

(Daphoenositta chrysoptera)
: "Tree-runner", "Nuthatch", "Barkpecker", "Woodpecker" (misnomer);
(Includes "Black-capped Sitella", "White-winged Sitella", "White-headed Sitella" and "Striated Sitella")

Aboriginal name(s): Race "pileata": "darnakot", "koomalbidyt", "balbin" (WA)
Size: 11-13 cm
Weight: 8-17 g

Description

Classification

Distribution

Sightings

Photos

Breeding

Nest

Eggs

Behaviour

Food

Call/s

Physical description

Click here for physical description of this species Click here for a physical description

Varied Sittellas are very small bushland birds. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are slightly different. Features common to all races and both sexes are: The crown is near-black, the front is white, the back is sooty-grey. The eyes, which are surrounded by a yellow eye-ring, have red-brown irises. The bill, which is straight and narrow at a slightly upward angle, is yellow with a black tip; legs and feet are yellow. For each of the various races, male Varied Sittellas tend to have lighter-coloured heads than females. Males have grey to white cheeks and ear coverts, while females have black or near-black heads. Details of their colour patterns depend on race. Race "striata", for example, has a heavily streaked front. Juvenile Varied Sittellas of all races have a paler crown and back, and therefore less back-to-front colour contrast, than adults. They also have buff on their wing coverts and buff edge lining on the flight feathers, unlike adults.

Taxonomy, classification

See Varied Sittella 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 Varied Sittella is available HERE .

Varied Sittellas can be found in Australia and New Guinea.

There are five races of Varied Sittella in Australia; for details see a field guide. Altogether, their range extends over most of the Australian continent. Race "chrysoptera" populates the eastern 2/3 of VIC and inland NSW and southern and central QLD, excluding the hill ranges of QLD and as far West as the Paroo River and Channel Country, but excluding the Lake Eyre Basin. Race "leucocephala" is found in coastal QLD and the adjacent ranges, from the NSW/QLD border to about Cairns. The range of race "striata" is restricted to Cape York peninsula, down to about Cairns, QLD. Race "leucoptera" occupies basically far western QLD into the northern half of the NT, plus the Kimberley in WA. Race "pileata" occupies the rest of the continent (basically anywhere to the West of the Paroo River and to the South of Mt. Isa, QLD), except the most arid parts of Australia, i.e. in the Nullarbor, the Simpson Desert, the Gibson Desert and the Lake Eyre Basin, where no Varied Sittellas are found.

Varied Sittellas are mostly found in sclerophyll forest and open woodland.

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Race "chrysoptera"

Varied Sittellas, nominate race "chrysoptera", were first sighted by us in June 2005 20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, when a group of five birds worked its way down the bark of a group of Cypress pine trees searching for small insects, such as aphids.

Varied Sittellas, race "chrysoptera", are occasionally seen by us in Deriah Aboriginal Area, 30 km East of Narrabri, on the edge of Mt. Kaputar NP. Again, the downward motion while foraging in trees was noted, which is different to that of all treecreepers. They have been seen by us in this area a number semi-regularly since 2008.

Subsequently, Varied Sittellas, race "chrysoptera", have been found by us in various other locations in the Narrabri area, e.g. in casuarinas near the northern end of the Pilliga scrub, and at Bullawa Creek SCA, 15 km East of Narrabri, NSW. A family group of about 8 birds, including dependent juveniles, was seen at Eulah Creek in January 2014.

In September 2015 we found Varied Sittellas, race "chrysoptera", nesting near Barraba, NSW.

On a trip to outback NSW in September 2012 Varied Sittellas were found by us in various locations. Photos were taken near the borderline between races "chrysoptera", and "pileata" (e.g. between Bourke, NSW, and Hungerford, QLD), without a sign of hybridisation. All birds observed by us were race "chrysoptera".

R. Plumtree reports spotting Varied Sittellas, race "chrysoptera", occasionally in the area of Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC.

M. Eaton reports finding Varied Sittellas, race "chrysoptera", at Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, in July 2019.

Click here for sighting information Race "pileata"

J. Greaves reports spotting Varied Sittellas, race "pileata", at Wooroloo Regional Park, Perth, WA, in August 2015.

R. Plumtree found Varied Sittellas, race "pileata", along the Murray River in Barmah State Park, near Echuca, VIC, in October 2018.

Click here for sighting information Race "leucocephala"

M. Eaton reports spotting Varied Sittellas, race "leucocephala", at the Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, in August 2017, and again in December 2019 and in February 2022. This race was also found at Hillview Court Reserve, Dayboro, QLD, and at both Gold Scrub Lane, Samsonvale, QLD, and Tinchi Tamba Wetlands, Brisbane, QLD, in May 2020.

Click here for sighting information Race "leucoptera"

B. Hensen reports spotting Varied Sittellas, race "leucoptera", near Timber Creek, NT, in July 2018, and along the Marrakai track, NT, in July 2019.

P. Brown found Varied Sittellas, race "leucoptera", along the Bullita Access Road, off the Victoria Highway, NT, in November 2018.

Photos

Race "chrysoptera"

This race is also called the "Orange-winged Sittella".

ADULT

MALE

Near-frontal view of a male Varied Sittella
[North of Bourke, NSW, September 2012]

Near-lateral view of a jumping male Varied Sittella
[North of Bourke, NSW, September 2012]

Lateral view of a male Varied Sittella
[North of Bourke, NSW, September 2012]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Varied Sittella
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, April 2008]

Some Varied Sittella acrobatics
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, April 2008]

Male Varied Sittella spreading its wings
[North of Bourke, NSW, September 2012]

Upside-down view of a male Varied Sittella
[North of Bourke, NSW, September 2012]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2018]

Near-lateral view of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, July 2019]

Lateral view of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2018]

Lateral view of a female Varied Sittella; this is one of the birds whose calls were recorded on 23 October 2014
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, October 2014]

Female Varied Sittella hanging off the underside of a branch (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a female Varied Sittella
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, April 2008]

Some more Varied Sittella arcrobatics
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, April 2008]

Sex unknown

Close-up view of the back of a Varied Sittella
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, October 2023]

View of the back of a Varied Sittella
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, October 2023]

Lateral view of a Varied Sittella in flight
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, May 2020]

Ventral view of a Varied Sittella in flight, just after takeoff
[North of Bourke, NSW, September 2012]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Head-on view of a juvenile Varied Sittella - note the streaking on the crown (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, January 2014]

Lateral view of a juvenile female Varied Sittella - note the bold streaking, whitish crown and rufous fringes on the wing feathers; although searching for food in the bark of an Acacia salicina, it was still being fed by adult birds
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2014]

View onto the back of the same juvenile Varied Sittella as shown above
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2014]

Race "pileata"

This race is also called "Black-capped Sittella".

ADULT

MALE

Near-frontal view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wooroloo Regional Park, Perth, WA, August 2015]

FEMALE

Near-frontal/ventral view of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Murray River in Barmah State Park, near Echuca, VIC, October 2018]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Murray River in Barmah State Park, near Echuca, VIC, October 2018]

Lateral view of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Murray River in Barmah State Park, near Echuca, VIC, October 2018]

Race "leucocephala"

This race is also called "White-headed Sittella".

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal/ventral view of a Varied Sittella hopping about (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, August 2017]

Near-lateral/ventral view of two Varied Sittellas (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, December 2019]

Near-lateral/ventral view of two Varied Sittellas, now seen preening (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, December 2019]

Varied Sittella hanging upside down to forage for insects (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Samsonvale, QLD, May 2020]

Lateral view of a Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]

Lateral view of a Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hillview Court Reserve, Dayboro, QLD, May 2020]

Lateral view of a Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tinchi Tamba Wetlands, Brisbane, QLD, May 2020]

Lateral/ventral view of a Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]

Lateral/ventral view of a Varied Sittella having a stretch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, August 2017]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]

Race "leucoptera"

This race is also called "White-winged Sittella".

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bullita Access Road, NT, November 2018]

Frontal view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bullita Access Road, NT, November 2018]

Close-up lateral view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bullita Access Road, NT, November 2018]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Dorsal view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bullita Access Road, NT, November 2018]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Varied Sittella; note the black helmet (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a female Varied Sittella flapping its wings, thereby showing the name-giving white wing panels
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Marrakai track, NT, July 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view onto the upperparts of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bullita Access Road, NT, November 2018]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Sep - Jan Eggs: 2 - 3 Incubation period: 14 days Fledging age: ca. 15 days

The breeding season listed in the table above relates to the southern part of the continent. In the North they preferably breed between August and October, possibly also between February and March.

Nest building: Family clan Incubation: Mated female Dependent care: Family clan

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

Type: Basket Material: Bark, fibres, grass, webs, feathers Height above ground: 5-25 m

We have observed the behaviour described in some field guides of Varied Sittellas running (sometimes up, but mostly) down the trunk to which they attach their nest as if foraging for insects in the bark, thereby disguising the fact that they are building a nest.

Female Varied Sittella checking the "seating comfort" of a nest that is in the final phase of construction; note the typical position in a fork, making the nest look from below like the stump of another, broken branch
[Near Barraba, NSW, September 2015]

Here the male Varied Sittella is checking the nest
[Near Barraba, NSW, September 2015]

Female Varied Sittella bringing a downy feather for lining the nest that the male then put in place
[Near Barraba, NSW, September 2015]

Here a female Varied Sittella brings a piece of bark for the outside of the nest, while the male is about to head off again
[Near Barraba, NSW, September 2015]

The pair of Varied Sittellas had support from at least one more female helper; a maximum of 3 birds was observed by us over a period of 15 minutes and their calls were recorded, but it is unclear whether they were always the same 3 birds
[Near Barraba, NSW, September 2015]

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

Size: 17 x 13 mm Colour: Light bluish-grey, with big dark speckles Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

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

While foraging in trees, Varied Sittellas move down tree trunks, head first, as opposed to treecreepers, which forage from the base of a tree upwards, also facing upwards.

Varied Sittella foraging head down (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Varied Sittella probing bark
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, October 2023]

Near-frontal view of a Varied Sittella inspecting a piece of bark
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, October 2023]

Near-frontal view of a Varied Sittella pulling up a piece of bark
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, October 2023]

Near-frontal view of a Varied Sittella checking what is under a piece of bark
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, October 2023]

Food, Diet

Varied Sittellas mostly probe tree bark for small insects and spiders, but they take larger prey, such as e.g. cicadas, as well.

Male Varied Sittella with its prey (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wooroloo Regional Park, Perth, WA, August 2015]

Varied Sittella with its prey (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2018]

Varied Sittella with its prey (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]

Female Varied Sittella with a cicada it has just caught
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, October 2014]

Here the female Varied Sittella is seen plucking its cicada
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, October 2014]

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.

vsittel_20200815.m4a	chrysoptera (NW NSW)	Contact calls(?)	© MD
vsittel_20200801_3.m4a	chrysoptera (NW NSW)	Contact calls(?)	© MD
vsittel_20200801.m4a	chrysoptera (NW NSW)	Various	© MD
vsittel_20200801_2.m4a	chrysoptera (NW NSW)	Various (+ Rufous Whistler)	© MD
vsittel_20150905.m4a	chrysoptera (NW NSW)	Various (near nest)	© MD
vsittel_20150905_2.m4a	chrysoptera (NW NSW)	Various (near nest)	© MD
vsittel_20150905_3.m4a	chrysoptera (NW NSW)	Various (near nest)	© MD
vsittel_20200527.m4a	chrysoptera (NW NSW)	Various (clan foraging)	© MD
vsittel_20200517.m4a	chrysoptera (NW NSW)	Various	© MD
vsittel_20141023_2.mp3	chrysoptera (NW NSW)	Various (pair foraging)	© MD
vsittel_20141023_3.mp3	chrysoptera (NW NSW)	Various (pair foraging)	© MD
vsittel_20141203.mp3	chrysoptera (NW NSW)	Various	© MD
vsittel_20141203_4.mp3	chrysoptera (NW NSW)	?	© MD

More Varied Sittella sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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