Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
The Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris) is a strikingly elegant and highly active honeyeater, a true gem of southeastern Australia. Measuring 13-16 cm in length and weighing 8-14 grams, it is instantly recognizable by its exceptionally long (2-3 cm), slender, and markedly decurved bill. Its plumage features a distinctive black crown, white chin and throat bordered by a bold black gorget, a chestnut nape, and a grey back, contrasting with a clean white belly and warm chestnut flan...
Favors a variety of treed environments, from open eucalypt forests and woodlands to heathlands, coastal shrub, and increasingly, suburban gardens and parks rich in native flowering plants, typically at lower to mid-elevations.
Primarily feeds on nectar from a diverse range of flowering plants, using its long, specialized bill and brush-tipped tongue to probe deep into blooms. It also supplements its diet with small insects and spiders, which it gleans from foliage or catches on the wing.
Eastern Spinebills are diurnal and highly energetic, flitting rapidly between flowering plants. Their primary foraging strategy involves probing deep into blooms for nectar using their specialized bill and brush-tipped tongue, often hovering almost like a hummingbird; they also glean small insect...
Eastern Spinebills are endemic to southeastern Australia, inhabiting a continuous range from the Atherton Tableland in northeastern Queensland, south through coastal and Great Dividing Range areas of New South Wales and Victoria, and extending into southeastern South Australia and throughout Tasm...
Least Concern
- The Eastern Spinebill can hover almost as skillfully as a hummingbird, a rare trait for an Australian bird. - Its extraordinarily long, decurved bill is a result of co-evolution with specific tubular Australian flowers, ensuring efficient nectar extraction and pollination. - They possess a brus...