Yellow Thornbill
Acanthiza nana
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins (photo by Patrick Kavanagh) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyAcanthizidae (Thornbills and Allies)
- GenusAcanthiza (Australasian Thornbills)
- SpeciesAcanthiza nana (Yellow Thornbill)
About the Yellow Thornbill
The yellow thornbill (Acanthiza nana), 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.
Acanthiza nana was named by Irish zoologist N. A. Vigors and American naturalist Dr Thomas Horsfield in 1827, with the bird noted in the Sydney Cove area. However, the earliest field notes with type description record the yellow thornbill in 1803, with records sent at the time to the Linnean Society of London. The generic name Acanthiza derives from Ancient Greek akantheōn 'thorn-brake' and zaō 'live, inhabit'. The specific epithet nana is Latin for a 'female dwarf'. The yellow thornbill is one of 13 currently recognised species of thornbill within the genus Acanthiza. There are five species groups recognised within this genus, with the yellow thornbill (Acanthiza nana) most closely related to the striated thornbill (Acanthiza lineata). The only Acanthiza species which occurs outside Australia, the New Guinea thornbill (Acanthiza murina), also bears close molecular similarities to both the yellow and striated thornbills... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Yellow Thornbill in Blue Mountains National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Blue Mountains National Park
Brown Thornbill
Acanthiza pusilla
Striated Thornbill
Acanthiza lineata
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Acanthiza chrysorrhoa
Buff-rumped Thornbill
Acanthiza reguloides
White-browed Scrubwren
Sericornis frontalis
Brown Gerygone
Gerygone mouki
Rockwarbler
Origma solitaria
White-throated Gerygone
Gerygone olivacea
Yellow-Throated Scrubwren
Sericornis citreogularis
Pilotbird
Pycnoptilus floccosus
Large-billed Scrubwren
Sericornis magnirostra
Calamanthus pyrrhopygius
Calamanthus pyrrhopygius
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Yellow Thornbill in Blue Mountains National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow Thornbill sighting in Blue Mountains National Park, based on 1,094 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Yellow Thornbill in Blue Mountains National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Yellow Thornbill in Blue Mountains National Park in our monthly data.