Acanthiza
Encyclopedia
Acanthiza is a genus of passeriform birds, mostly found in Australia
but with one species (A. murina) restricted to New Guinea
. These birds are commonly known as thornbills. They are not closely related to species in the hummingbird genus Chalcostigma
which are also called thornbills.
They are found primarily in Australia
and have a thin long beak. Colloquially the thornbill is sometimes referred to as a Tit
by locals, but in reality the Australian continent lacks any real Tits, albeit Acanthizan species do show some similarities with Tits in their behaviour. This is expressed in the fact that, like Tits, Thornbills live in small groups, except for the period of reproduction, during which the couples isolate themselves to raise their young.
The habitat preferences of the group vary from dense forest to open saltbush and bluebush plains.
Acanthiza follow a very characteristic undulating path when flying. Their diet
is formed essentially of little insect
s and plant lice that these birds glean from foliage. They are also exceptional acrobats that are easily able to stay head downward like tits do.
The nest
of the Acanthiza is a large dome-shaped construction, completely enclosed except for a side hole, just like that of the long-tailed tit
; however Acanthiza adds to it an additional room whose function is unknown.
The incubation period is unknown but the number of eggs
usually ranges from 2 to 4. The length of an adult bird is 8 - 10 centimeters.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
but with one species (A. murina) restricted to New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. These birds are commonly known as thornbills. They are not closely related to species in the hummingbird genus Chalcostigma
Chalcostigma
Chalcostigma is a genus of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. The name of the genus is derived from the Greek khalkos meaning bronze and stigme for a spot or mark, a reference to the beard on the Bronze-tailed Thornbill....
which are also called thornbills.
They are found primarily in Australia
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
and have a thin long beak. Colloquially the thornbill is sometimes referred to as a Tit
Titmouse
The tits, chickadees, and titmice constitute Paridae, a large family of small passerine birds which occur in the northern hemisphere and Africa...
by locals, but in reality the Australian continent lacks any real Tits, albeit Acanthizan species do show some similarities with Tits in their behaviour. This is expressed in the fact that, like Tits, Thornbills live in small groups, except for the period of reproduction, during which the couples isolate themselves to raise their young.
The habitat preferences of the group vary from dense forest to open saltbush and bluebush plains.
Acanthiza follow a very characteristic undulating path when flying. Their diet
Diet (nutrition)
In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...
is formed essentially of little insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and plant lice that these birds glean from foliage. They are also exceptional acrobats that are easily able to stay head downward like tits do.
The nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
of the Acanthiza is a large dome-shaped construction, completely enclosed except for a side hole, just like that of the long-tailed tit
Long-tailed Tit
The Long-tailed Tit or Long-tailed Bushtit is a common bird found throughout Europe and Asia. There are several extensive accounts of this species, most notably Cramp and Perrins, 1993; Gaston, 1973; and Harrap and Quinn, 1996...
; however Acanthiza adds to it an additional room whose function is unknown.
The incubation period is unknown but the number of eggs
Bird egg
Bird eggs are laid by females and incubated for a time that varies according to the species; a single young hatches from each egg. Average clutch sizes range from one to about 17...
usually ranges from 2 to 4. The length of an adult bird is 8 - 10 centimeters.
Species
- Inland ThornbillInland ThornbillThe Inland Thornbill , commonly called the Broad-tailed Thornbill, is a small, insect-eating bird of Australia. The Inland Thornbill is commonly confused with the coastal Brown Thornbill due to its similar colorations. The Inland Thornbill encompasses four subspecies :* A. a. apicalis* A. a....
, Acanthiza apicalis - Yellow-rumped ThornbillYellow-rumped ThornbillThe Yellow-rumped Thornbill is a species of passerine bird from the genus Acanthiza. The genus was once placed in the family Pardalotidae but that family was split and it is now in the family Acanthizidae. There are four subspecies of Yellow-rumped Thornbill. It is a small, brownish bird with a...
, Acanthiza chrysorrhoa - Tasmanian ThornbillTasmanian ThornbillThe Tasmanian Thornbill is a small brown bird only found in Tasmania and the islands in the Bass Strait. It is a common bird in these regions, often found in rainforests, wet forests, and scrublands. It occurs exclusively in cold and wet areas...
, Acanthiza ewingii - Western ThornbillWestern ThornbillThe Western Thornbill is a species of bird in the Pardalotidae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitat is Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation....
, Acanthiza inornata - Slender-billed ThornbillSlender-billed ThornbillThe Slender-billed Thornbill is a small bird native to Australia. It includes three separate sub-species:* A. i. hedleyi* A. i. iredalei* A. i. rosinae...
, Acanthiza iredalei - Mountain ThornbillMountain ThornbillThe Mountain Thornbill is a species of bird in the Pardalotidae family. It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitat is tropical rainforest on the Atherton tableland in north-east Queensland....
, Acanthiza katherina - Striated ThornbillStriated ThornbillThe Striated Thornbill is a species of bird in the Pardalotidae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests....
, Acanthiza lineata - Papuan ThornbillPapuan ThornbillThe New Guinea Thornbill or Papuan Thornbill is a species of bird in the Pardalotidae family. It is found in West Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
, Acanthiza murina - Yellow ThornbillYellow ThornbillThe Yellow Thornbill, Acanthiza nana, is a passerine bird usually found in Australia.It is protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974....
, Acanthiza nana - Brown ThornbillBrown ThornbillThe Brown Thornbill, Acanthiza pusilla, is a passerine bird usually found in eastern and south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania. It can grow up to 10 cm long, and feeds on insects....
, Acanthiza pusilla - Buff-rumped ThornbillBuff-rumped ThornbillThe Buff-rumped Thornbill is a species of thornbill found in open forest land in east Australia, specifically around Sydney, south of Chinchilla and east of Cobar in an area of 1,000,000–10,000,000 km²...
, Acanthiza reguloides - Slaty-backed ThornbillSlaty-backed ThornbillThe Slaty-backed Thornbill is a species of bird in the Pardalotidae family.It is endemic to Australia....
, Acanthiza robustirostris - Chestnut-rumped ThornbillChestnut-rumped ThornbillThe Chestnut-rumped Thornbill is a species of bird in the Pardalotidae family.It is endemic to Australia....
, Acanthiza uropygialis
External links
- Thornbill Identification Website
- Acanthiza fotos & videos on the Internet Bird Collection