Brown Thornbill
Acanthiza pusilla
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 pusilla (Brown Thornbill)
About the Brown Thornbill
The brown thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla) is a passerine bird usually found in eastern and south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania. It can grow up to 10 cm (3.9 in) long, and feeds on insects. It is brown, grey and white. The species has five subspecies.
The brown thornbill is a member of the order Passeriformes, the family Acanthizidae, and the genus Acanthiza. It also has five subspecies: Acanthiza pusilla pusilla, A. p. diemenensis, A. p. zietzi, A. p. archibaldi, and A. p. dawsonensis. The species was first described by George Shaw in 1790. The nominate subspecies A. p. pusilla was described by Shaw in 1790 and the subspecies A. p. diemenensis was first described by John Gould in 1838. A. p. zietzi was described by Alfred John North in 1904, A. p. dawsonensis was described by Archibald George Campbell in 1922, and A. p. archibaldi was described by Gregory Mathews in 1910.
The generic name Acanthiza derives from Ancient Greek akantheōn 'thorn-brake' and zaō 'to live, inhabit'. The specific epithet derives from Latin pusillus 'very small'. A 2017 genetic study using both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA found the ancestor of the brown thornbill diverged from that of... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Brown Thornbill in Lamington National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Lamington National Park
Striated Thornbill
Acanthiza lineata
Buff-rumped Thornbill
Acanthiza reguloides
Yellow Thornbill
Acanthiza nana
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Acanthiza chrysorrhoa
White-browed Scrubwren
Sericornis frontalis
Yellow-Throated Scrubwren
Sericornis citreogularis
Brown Gerygone
Gerygone mouki
Large-billed Scrubwren
Sericornis magnirostra
White-throated Gerygone
Gerygone olivacea
Speckled Warbler
Pyrrholaemus sagittatus
Weebill
Smicrornis brevirostris
Lewin's Honeyeater
Meliphaga lewinii
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Flinders Chase | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Brown Thornbill in Lamington National Park?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Thornbill sighting in Lamington National Park, based on 1,968 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Brown Thornbill in Lamington National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Brown Thornbill in Lamington National Park in our monthly data.