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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Acanthizidae
  4. ›
  5. Acanthiza
  6. ›
  7. Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Photo · (c) Terra Occ, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Acanthiza chrysorrhoa(Quoy & Gaimard, 1832)

Updated 11 June 2026

Origin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Acanthizidae
Genus
Acanthiza

At a glance

The Yellow-rumped Thornbill is a tiny bird, about 10–12 cm long, endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
10–12 cm
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Voice
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Yellow-rumped Thornbill look like?

The Yellow-rumped Thornbill is a tiny bird, about 10–12 cm long and weighing 7–13 g.

The yellow-rumped thornbill is a species of passerine bird from the genus Acanthiza. The genus was once placed in the family Pardalotidae but that family was split and it is now in the family Acanthizidae. There are four subspecies of yellow-rumped thornbill. It is a small, brownish bird with a distinctive yellow rump and thin dark bill. It inhabits savannah, scrub and forests across most of Australia and eats insects. The species engages in cooperative breeding.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
10–12 cm
Weight
6.5–13 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Yellow-rumped Thornbill?

The Yellow-rumped Thornbill 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

Claudia Schipp · Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

Call

Jono · Cossington Smith Cr before Fairweather Cct, Lyneham ACT 2602, Australia

Call

Maria Duynisveld · Kingborough, AU-TS, AU

Call

Rosalie Lawrence · Monarto SA 5254, Australia

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Yellow-rumped Thornbill eat?

The Yellow-rumped Thornbill feeds on terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Yellow-rumped Thornbill live in Australia?

The Yellow-rumped Thornbill is endemic to Australia, recorded across 75 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingAustralia (except north)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident

8 regions recorded