Adults: Head, greyish. Above, dull olive-brown to bright olive-yellow, particularly on lower back and rump. Eyestripe, off-white, extending from forehead over eye. Some forms have a rufous-brown spot in front of eye. Tail, ash-brown with broad black bar and distinct white spot at tip of inner webs of all except central one or two pairs of tail feathers. Wings, brown. Flight feathers edged ash-olive to olive-yellow. Chin and throat, dull to yellow-white, sparsely striped with black in some forms, merging into plain yellow-buff to rich light yellow on breast and belly. Eye, straw to pale cream-yellow. Bill, pale grey to flesh-brown, the lower mandible being paler than the upper. Feet and claws, pale grey to flesh-brown.
Immatures: As adults. Eye greyer.
Other Names (World)
Weebill, Brown Weebill, Yellow Weebill, Yellow Tree-tit, Short-billed Scrub-tit, Short-billed Tree-tit, Southern Weebill
Throughout mainland Australia, but avoiding high rainfall areas of far north-eastern Queensland, southern Victoria and extreme south-western Australia. Populations in the interior north and west are generally plaer.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Habits
Usually in pairs or small parties, but often joining roving flocks of other species.
Food
Mainly small insects and their larvae, but occasionally seeds.
Voice
Call: Harsh, sharp, buzzing 'chiz' in contact, mostly in flight; repeated often. Song: Lively, surprisingly strong song usually four whistled slurs, last two higher and drawn-out, repeated rapidly several times with little variation: 'weebill, weebill, weebee' or 'willy-weet, willy-weetee', by both sexes throughout the year.
Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris) [XC834179]
by Peter Boesman from Eynesbury, Melton City, Victoria, Australia (call, song)
Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris) [XC511997]
by James Lambert from Markaranka, South Australia, Australia (call)
Breeding Season (Guide)
August - February in south, October - April, May in north. In central Australi it depends on rains but probably coincides with southern population.
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Nest
Small, dome shaped, with a narrow entrance protected by a hood, composed of fibre mingled with plant-down, and lined with plant-down or feathers. Usually built among the outer foliage of a tree.
Eggs (Guide)
2 - 4; matt cream-buff, finely speckled with buff-brown to purple-brown, particularly at the larger end; oval; about 15 x 11 mm. Incubation: about 18 - 21 days; by both sexes although occasionally it appears that only female may incubate.
Young
Fledge in about 18 - 19 days.
Subspecies
All species intergrade where they abut.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
brevirostris (Gould, 1838) - Eastern Australia from the Burdekin River Drainage, Qld, south to central Vic. and south-eastern SA, west to the eastern fringes of south-eastern Gulf of Carpentaria Drainage - Grey Range System and eastern Murray - Mallee.
flavescens Gould, 1843 - Northern Australia from Kimberley Divide, WA to Cape York Peninsula, including Tiwi Island and south to norhern Great Sandy - Tanami Deserts, Central Australian Ranges, northern Simpson Desert, central Thomson River Drainage and south-eastern Gulf of carpentaria Drainage.
occidentalis Bonaparte, 1850 - South-western WA, north to lower Murcheson River and Kalgoorlie region, east round southern rim of Nullabor Plain to SA gulfs, central Flinders Ranges, southen Lake Frome Basin and Murray - mallee.
ochrogaster Schodde & Mason, IJ, 1999 - Plibara and central WA.
Similar Species
Yellow Thornbill (Acanthiza nana), which has a longer slimmer bill and striations about the eye.
Compare Images
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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