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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Dasyornithidae
  4. ›
  5. Dasyornis
  6. ›
  7. Eastern Bristlebird
Eastern Bristlebird
Photo · (c) Lachlan Copeland, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

BirdUp · Species

Eastern Bristlebird

Dasyornis brachypterus(Latham, 1801)

Updated 11 June 2026

Conservation status: EndangeredOrigin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Dasyornithidae
Genus
Dasyornis

At a glance

The Eastern Bristlebird is a small bird, about 18–21 cm long, listed as Endangered and endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
18–21 cm
Conservation status
Endangered
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Rare
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Voice
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does an Eastern Bristlebird look like?

The Eastern Bristlebird is a small bird, about 18–21 cm long and weighing 35–49 g.

The eastern bristlebird is a species of bird in the bristlebird family, Dasyornithidae. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, and temperate grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
18–21 cm
Weight
34.5–48.5 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see an Eastern Bristlebird?

The Eastern Bristlebird is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

04 · Voice

What it sounds like

Call

Jono · Australia

Call

jimchurches · New South Wales, AU

Call

jimchurches · New South Wales, AU

Call

Jono · Australia

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does an Eastern Bristlebird eat?

The Eastern Bristlebird feeds on seeds and terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

The BirdUp app

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Eastern Bristlebird live in Australia?

The Eastern Bristlebird is endemic to Australia, recorded across 11 of Australia’s bioregions, with a core range spanning east-central and south-east Australia.

BreedingEast-central and south-east Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Breeding
  • Non-breeding
  • Vagrant
  • Passage

8 regions recorded