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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Acanthizidae
  4. ›
  5. Hylacola
  6. ›
  7. Shy Heathwren
Shy Heathwren
Photo · (c) Kym Nicolson, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Shy Heathwren

Hylacola cautaGould, 1843

Updated 11 June 2026

Conservation status: Least ConcernOrigin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Acanthizidae
Genus
Hylacola

At a glance

The Shy Heathwren is a tiny bird, about 12–14 cm long, listed as Least Concern and endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
12–14 cm
Conservation status
Least Concern
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Voice
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Shy Heathwren look like?

The Shy Heathwren is a tiny bird, about 12–14 cm long and weighing 10–19 g.

The shy heathwren is a species of small bird in the family Acanthizidae, endemic to Australia. They inhabit mostly mallee woodland that has relatively dense shrub and heath understorey.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
12–14 cm
Weight
10–18.5 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Shy Heathwren?

The Shy Heathwren 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

J N. · Australia

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Shy Heathwren eat?

The Shy Heathwren feeds on terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Shy Heathwren live in Australia?

The Shy Heathwren is endemic to Australia, recorded across 23 of Australia’s bioregions, with a core range spanning south Australia.

BreedingSouth Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Vagrant

6 regions recorded