Tasmanian Scrubwren

Sericornis humilis

Small gray-brown bird with black-and-white shoulder patch, dull white eyebrow, and faint pale chin stripe. Very similar to White-browed Scrubwren but darker and has less obvious facial pattern. Endemic to Tasmania and some surrounding islands. Forages on the ground in a variety of habitats with thick vegetation.

Taxonomy

Placed in the family Pardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now no longer accepted; they instead are currently placed in the independent family Acanthizidae. It is alternately considered a subspecies of the smaller white-browed scrubwren, and further research is needed to understand the relationships between the two species.

Scientific name
Sericornis humilis
Authority
Gould, 1838
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Acanthizidae
Genus
Sericornis

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

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