Yellow-Rumped Thornbill

Click on image to hear the call
Yellow-Rumped Thornbill: Click for call. Photograph Graham Stephinson The Yellow-rumped Thornbill prefers grassy woodland with some scattered fallen timber, feeding mostly on the ground. It has adapted very well to the mown grass of the suburbs, breeding readily in urban parkland, if not gardens. Its feeding habits, distinctive yellow rump and persistent twittering make it the most conspicuous of the thornbill group.

Numbers are greatest from March until June, declining in September. Numbers over the years have been remarkably stable.

This is one of only two small native birds (the other is the Silvereye) with many breeding records. The large conspicuous nests are easily seen generally in low foliage, often with vocal dependent young. Most nest building starts in August or September with activity at nest to mid-January.

Dependent young were recorded from early September until late March. A full breeding event takes from 10 to 12 weeks. Some records indicate that some birds may nest more than once in a summer. R=17. BR=12.

Yellow-rumped Thornbill Annual Abundance Graph

Yellow-rumped Thornbill Calendar Year Abundance Graph

Yellow-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza chrysorrhoa

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