Scrubtit
Acanthornis magna
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyAcanthizidae (Thornbills and Allies)
- GenusAcanthornis
- SpeciesAcanthornis magna (Scrubtit)
About the Scrubtit
The scrubtit (Acanthornis magna) is a species of bird in the thornbill family Acanthizidae. It is endemic to Tasmania and King Island in Australia. Its natural habitat is the temperate rainforest, Nothofagus beech forest and eucalypt woodland. It is a small species that resembles the Sericornis scrubwrens (with which it was once placed).
The scrubtit belongs to the monotypic genus Acanthornis. A 2017 genetic study using both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA found the ancestor of the scrubtit diverged from that of the three whitefaces of the genus Aphelocephala around 7 million years ago. The combined lineage had diverged from the thornbill lineage around 13 million years ago.
The scrubtit is 11 to 12 centimetres (4.33 to 4.72 in) long and weighs around 10 grams (0.35 oz). The plumage consists of a white throat and belly, a brown back, crown, flank and tail, black wings and grey on the face. The eye is pale and the bill is short, black and slightly curved. The species is often silent, but makes quite loud contact calls and has a song described as "sweet [and] musical".
The scrubtit forages individually, in pairs or in small family groups... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Scrubtit in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park
Tasmanian Scrubwren
Sericornis humilis
Tasmanian Thornbill
Acanthiza ewingii
Brown Thornbill
Acanthiza pusilla
Striated Fieldwren
Calamanthus fuliginosus
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Acanthiza chrysorrhoa
Black Currawong
Strepera fuliginosa
Crescent Honeyeater
Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus
Yellow Wattlebird
Anthochaera paradoxa
Yellow-throated Honeyeater
Nesoptilotis flavicollis
Welcome Swallow
Hirundo neoxena
Pink Robin
Petroica rodinogaster
Grey Fantail
Rhipidura albiscapa
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Scrubtit in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Scrubtit sighting in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, based on 248 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Scrubtit in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Scrubtit in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in our monthly data.