I’ve done a previous post on the Eastern Spinebill , I just wanted to share a new photo, this time of a male. As often seems to be the case in nature the male is more striking than the female, I guess they need to impress, and it’s not like they can buy a fancy car.

Male Eastern Spinebill – what a hansom devil

Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris

I’m pretty sure this is an Eastern Spinebill, it was sitting in the Macadamia tree in the front yard. I’d not head of this bird before and can’t say I remember ever seeing them around. The Eastern Spinebill is a small bird, about 13cm – 16cm, it can be recognized by it’s long fine down curved beak. The bird in the photo is a female, males have more distinctive and defined colourings of black, white and tan across their body. They are found on much of the east and southeast coast of Australia and also throughout Tasmania.