Varied Sittella

Varied Sittella

Daphoenositta chrysoptera

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Springbrook National Park

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

31 Verified sightings at Springbrook National Park From 2019 to 2026
507 In all 10 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Varied Sittella

The varied sittella (Daphoenositta chrysoptera) is a small songbird native to Australia. About 10–11 cm long, it is also known as the Australian nuthatch, orange-winged sittella and the barkpecker. The varied sittella was first described by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801 under the binomial name Sitta chrysoptera. The generic name Daphoenositta is derived from Greek daphoinos/δαφοινός, 'blood-red, tawny' and sittē, a bird like a woodpecker mentioned by Aristotle. The specific name chrysoptera is from Greek khrusopteros/χρυσό-πτερος, 'golden-winged'.

The species inhabits a broad range, and its appearance changes depending on its location, hence the name varied sittella. There are five subspecies: Its crown and head can... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:45

Australia · 2023

© Peter Boesman · XC859840 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song1:01

Australia · 2022

© James Lambert · XC759723 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:38

Australia · 2021

© Eddy Smith · XC673813 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
2 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
3 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
4 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
5 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
6 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
7 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
8 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
9 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
10 Hattah-Kulkyne National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Perth 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
2 Brisbane 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
3 Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
4 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Varied Sittella in Springbrook National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Varied Sittella sighting in Springbrook National Park on a given day, based on 31 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 91st most-seen of the 136 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Varied Sittella in Springbrook National Park?

February, April–May, July–September and November

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Varied Sittella in Springbrook National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, June, October and December–January, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Varied Sittella?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Varied Sittella sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Springbrook National Park the best place to see a Varied Sittella?

Yes

Of the 10 parks where we can rate Varied Sittella sightings, Springbrook National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Booderee National Park (Australia, about 10%) and Great Otway National Park (Australia, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Varied Sittella live in Springbrook National Park?

Same order: Passeriformes

The closest relatives of the Varied Sittella that you can see in Springbrook National Park (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Lewin's Honeyeater (about 80%), Eastern Whipbird (about 80%) and Pied Currawong (about 70%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Varied Sittella sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Varied Sittella is recorded against all the birds logged in Springbrook National Park (31 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.

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