Slaty-backed Thornbill
Acanthiza robustirostris
Small bird with thin pointed bill, uncommon in mulga woodland of arid inland temperate Australia. Brownish gray above, cream-colored below, with dark eye, dark streaking on forecrown, pale lores, pale-tipped dark tail, and chestnut rump, often visible in flight. Usually seen in pairs or singly, foraging low in branches rather than on the ground. Distinguished from juvenile Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (which also has dark eyes) by noting the dark streaks on Slaty-backed’s forehead. Typical calls are thin chatter and a clear, reeling trill.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Acanthiza robustirostris
- Authority
- Milligan, 1903
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Acanthizidae
- Genus
- Acanthiza
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet
Phylloscartes ventralis
Small olive-yellow flycatcher with a long slender tail, which is often held cocked. Olive above and yellow below with a pale eyebrow, a white chin, and two pale wingbars. Found in montane forests including Araucaria forests, where it forages actively in the middle and upper layers of the forest often with mixed-species flocks. The song is short and high-pitched.
Acorn Woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
Medium-sized woodpecker with unique face pattern: red crown, pale yellowish forehead and throat, and pale eye. Otherwise glossy-black with streaky underparts. In flight, look for blazing white rump and wing patches. Typically fairly common from western North America to Colombia, especially in mixed oak forests and other open woodlands. Social and conspicuous. Occurs in family groups that breed cooperatively. Well-known for stashing large numbers of acorns in telephone poles and tree trunks. Listen for nasal “waka-waka” calls and chatters.
Tibetan Bunting
Emberiza koslowi
Handsome thickset bunting restricted to a small part of the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan plateau where it inhabits scrubby slopes above the timberline. Unmistakable in its range; no other bunting in the area combines its size, brick-orange back, and gray belly. Male has a striking black-and-white head pattern while female is gray-headed with weak streaking. Song is an unmusical and unremarkable series of high, sharp “pi-pi-pipipew” notes.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.