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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Acanthizidae
  4. ›
  5. Acanthiza
  6. ›
  7. Yellow Thornbill
Yellow Thornbill
Photo · no rights reserved

BirdUp · Species

Yellow Thornbill

Acanthiza nanaVigors & Horsfield, 1827

Updated 11 June 2026

Origin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Acanthizidae
Genus
Acanthiza

At a glance

The Yellow Thornbill is a tiny bird, about 9–10 cm long, endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
9–10 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 Thornbill look like?

The Yellow Thornbill is a tiny bird, about 9–10 cm long and weighing 5–10 g.

The yellow thornbill, formerly known as the little thornbill, is a tiny passerine bird endemic to the eastern coast of Australia. While currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, the general consensus is that the population is decreasing.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
9–10 cm
Weight
5–10 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Yellow Thornbill?

The Yellow 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

Richard Shirky · Elsmore NSW 2360, Australia

Call

Will Cornwell · Bungwahl NSW 2423, Australia

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Yellow Thornbill eat?

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

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

The BirdUp app

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Yellow Thornbill live in Australia?

The Yellow Thornbill is endemic to Australia, recorded across 38 of Australia’s bioregions, with a core range spanning east Australia.

BreedingEast Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Vagrant
  • Non-breeding

8 regions recorded