- Acanthornis magna
Identification
Yellowish underside to whitish throat, reddish-brown upperside and tail, white-edged secondaries, grey sides to head with a thin white eye-ring.
Tasmanian Thornbill and Tasmanian Scrubwren are two similar species.
Distribution
Tasmania (non-migratory)
Taxonomy
Two subspecies usually recognized[2]:
- A. m. magna in most of Tasmania
- A. m. greeniana on King Island
The scientific name was formerly spelt Acanthornis magnus.
Habitat
Understory of temperate rainforest and wet eucalypt forest, especially where ferns are common.
Behaviour
The diet includes insects and other invertebrates.
Breeding is from September to December; 3-4 eggs are laid, which are white with reddish spots. The nest is domed, hidden low in vegetation.
References
- Pizzey, G. & Knight, F. 1997. Birds of Australia (Collins Field Guide). HarperCollins Publishers, London. ISBN 0-00-220132-1
- Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
