Grey Gerygone - BirdForum Opus

Disambiguation: The name Grey Gerygone is used for Acanthiza cinerea, Grey Thornbill by some authorities.

Photo by Mat & Cathy
Halswell Quarry, Christchurch, New Zealand, December 2007

Alternative name: Grey Warbler

Gerygone igata

Identification

10 cm (4 in)

• Small, greyish-brown bird
• Blackish lores
• Short roundish tail. White tail tips visible in flight

Distribution

Australasia: found in mainland New Zealand and adjacent offshore islands

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Habitat

Gardens, scrubland, native forests

Behaviour

Juvenile
Photo by craigwilson
Waitati, New Zealand, January 2017

More heard than seen. Often in company of Shining Bronze Cuckoo.

Diet

Their diet consists of insects and spiders, with the addition of small fruit and seeds occasionally.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Avibase
3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved February 2015)
4. Gill BJ. BREEDING OF THE GREY WARBLER GERYGONE IGATA AT KAIKOURA , NEW ZEALAND. Ibis, J Br Ornithol Union. 1982;124(2)
5. Keast A, Recher HF. The Adaptive Zone of the Genus Gerygone (Acanthizidae) as Shown by Morphology and Feeding Habits. EMU. 1997;97:1–17

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Grey Gerygone. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Grey_Gerygone

External Links

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