Acanthiza murina
The New Guinea Thornbill (Acanthiza murina) is a diminutive and often inconspicuous passerine bird, strictly endemic to the high-altitude forests of New Guinea. Measuring approximately 10-12 cm in length and weighing around 7-8 grams, it sports a largely dull olive-brown plumage, typically paler on the underparts, with a distinctive pale cream supercilium (eyebrow) and often faint streaking on its flanks. Its pale yellow-brown eye provides a subtle but key field mark amidst the dense undergro...
This species is an obligate resident of subtropical and tropical moist montane forests, as well as subalpine shrubland and mossy forest, typically found at elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters above sea level.
The New Guinea Thornbill is primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of small insects and other invertebrates, which it actively gleans from leaves, twigs, and mossy branches.
The New Guinea Thornbill is a diurnal insectivore, primarily active during daylight hours, gleaning small arthropods from foliage and bark in the understory and lower canopy. It exhibits territorial behavior, especially during the breeding season, defending its patch with characteristic calls and...
The New Guinea Thornbill is strictly endemic to the central mountain ranges of New Guinea. Its distribution spans across the major cordilleras, including the Snow Mountains (Pegunungan Maoke) in West Papua (Indonesia) and the central Highlands of Papua New Guinea. This species is an altitudinal s...
Least Concern
- The New Guinea Thornbill is the only thornbill species found exclusively on the island of New Guinea, making it a unique geographical outlier for the genus Acanthiza. - Despite its drab appearance, its pale yellowish eye is a crucial identifier in the dim light of its dense montane habitat. - I...