Scrubtit
A species of Scrubtit Scientific name : Acanthornis magna Genus : Scrubtit
Scrubtit, A species of Scrubtit
Botanical name: Acanthornis magna
Genus: Scrubtit
Content
Description General Info
Description
The scrubtit is 11 to 12 centimetres (4.33 to 4.72 in) long and weighs around 10 grams (0.35 oz). The plumage consists of a white throat and belly, a brown back, crown, flank and tail, black wings and grey on the face. The eye is pale and the bill is short, black and slightly curved. The species is often silent, but makes quite loud contact calls and has a song described as "sweet [and] musical".
Size
12 cm
Nest Placement
Shrub
Feeding Habits
Scrubtit consumes a variety of invertebrates including insects, snails, and spiders. It forages alone or in small groups, methodically probing trees, ferns, and leaf litter. Unique in its association with mixed flocks, scrubtit displays unobtrusive, shy behavior.
Habitat
Scrubtit resides in cool-temperate rainforests and moist eucalypt forests with dense understoreys of ferns and shrubs, including areas with antarctic beech forests. They thrive in environments with a rich shrub layer, such as musk daisy-bush and tree ferns. Additionally, scrubtit is found in subalpine forests and moorlands, as well as in dwarf coniferous shrublands, where the vegetation provides ample cover and food resources.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Behavior
The scrubtit forages individually, in pairs or in small family groups near the ground in dense cover. It feeds on small invertebrates, particularly insects and their eggs. The species will associate with mixed-species feeding flocks. The species is territorial and monogamous, with the breeding season lasting from September to January. The nest is a woven globe with a side entrance, lined with feathers and fur, camouflaged and usually found between 1–3 m off the ground. The clutch size is usually three eggs but sometimes four. The eggs measure 18 by 15 millimetres (0.71 by 0.59 in) and are pearly white, with fine reddish spots, mostly around the larger end. No information exists about incubation or nestling times. Both parents feed the chicks in the nest, but unlike many Australian passerines helpers have never been reported. The species is victim to brood parasitism by fan-tailed cuckoos (Cacomantis flabelliformis) and shining bronze-cuckoos (Chrysococcyx lucidus), and quolls (Dasyurus) also take eggs and nestlings. The species has a restricted range but is not considered threatened by the IUCN. The subspecies found on King Island is considered critically endangered, however. The species is shy and unobtrusive and is seldom observed by people.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Australasian warblers Genus
Scrubtit Species
Scrubtit