Acanthiza ewingii
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins (photo by Patrick Kavanagh) · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The Tasmanian Thornbill (Acanthiza ewingii) is a small bushland member of the Acanthizidae (Australian warbler) family, endemic to Tasmania and the Bass Strait Islands. It is a common bird in these regions and is often found occupying the colder, wetter portions of them. The brown thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla) will typically occupy the correspondingly drier portions of habitat.
The Tasmanian Thornbill is olive-brown above, darkening toward the back and tail, and can exhibit a patch of reddish-brown colouration on the forehead. The wings are dark grey with olive-brown edge lining. Grey on light grey scalloping is present from the chin to breast, with similar scalloping occurring on the sides of the head. The bill, feet, and legs are all dark grey and the eyes are distinctly large and dark, with red irises.
It's long, thin, thorn-shaped beak is a distinguishing characteristic of the Acanthiza (thornbill) family. Visibly fluffy, white under-tail coverts are a distinguishing feature of the species. The Tasmanian Thornbill averages in size at around 10 cm and shows no significant coloration or size differentiation between sexes. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Tasmanian Thornbill sighting in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park on a given day, based on 463 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 49 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–June, September and November
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Tasmanian Thornbill in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park on a given day, against about 60% in January, the lowest month.
Between 1 and 4 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tasmanian Thornbill sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Tasmanian Thornbill sightings, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Maria Island National Park (Australia, about 50%) and Freycinet National Park (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tasmanian Thornbill is recorded against all the birds logged in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park (463 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
