Striated Thornbill

Identification

The Striated Thornbill is often described as a YALBB – ‘yet another little brown bird’. 

 The Striated Thornbill in our district is usually a bit darker than those shown in some field guides. The key to quick identification is the streaking, (striations) on the crown and around the face. Upperparts are dark grey and the belly is a pale grey.

Very similar in appearance to the Brown Thornbill, the Striated Thornbill can generally be separated by its very faint insect-like call, (the Brown Thornbill has an audible, deep rolling call) and its location, generally in the canopy, (Brown Thornbills are mostly found in understorey). 

Habitat

Striated Thornbills usually prefer eucalypt forests and woodlands, tree corridors and sometimes parks and gardens. They do seem to be found where there is a complex vegetation layer – canopy, mid-storey and understorey, including logs and litter.

Behaviour

They are active feeders, often in mixed species groups, taking insects from the outer foliage, usually in the canopy, and often hanging upside down. Along with the other insect-eating birds, Striated Thornbills are thought to make a valuable contribution to mitigating the defoliation of woodlands by leaf chewing insects.

Striated Thornbills build a dome-shaped nest of bark and grasses, lined with lichen and feathers, in the outer foliage. Their nest is a favourite target for the Fantailed Cuckoo to parasitize, a bird that is nearly three times larger than the little thornbill.

Distribution

Although breeding records suggest the Striated Thornbill population is in decline, it is labelled as a ‘secure’ species. Striated Thornbills are endemic and sedentary and can be found along the south-east seaboard, from Southern Queensland to eastern South Australia. In the bushland around Canberra, the Striated Thornbill is perhaps the most common YALBB.

The Striated Thornbill can be hard to see, being so small and usually high in the canopy. The best chance to see them is when they occasionally come to the understorey to feed, which recently a small party did in the bush at the Bellbird Park wetlands in Drouin.