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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Neosittidae
  4. ›
  5. Daphoenositta
  6. ›
  7. Varied Sittella
Varied Sittella
Photo · (c) Kym Nicolson, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Varied Sittella

Daphoenositta chrysoptera(Latham, 1801)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Neosittidae
Genus
Daphoenositta

At a glance

The Varied Sittella is a tiny bird, about 10–14 cm long, endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
10–14 cm
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Varied Sittella look like?

The Varied Sittella is a tiny bird, about 10–14 cm long and weighing 8–20 g.

The varied sittella is a small songbird native to Australia. About 10–11 cm long, it is also known as the Australian nuthatch, orange-winged sittella and the barkpecker.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
10–14 cm
Weight
8–20 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Varied Sittella?

The Varied Sittella 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

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Varied Sittella eat?

The Varied Sittella feeds on terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Varied Sittella live in Australia?

The Varied Sittella is endemic to Australia, recorded across 85 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingAustralia (except Tasmania)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident

8 regions recorded