Fun Eastern Bristlebird Facts For Kids

The eastern bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus) is an endangered species that is endemic to Australia. The population of these birds is divided in three parts, the central, southern, and northern populations which are concentrated in Barren Grounds Nature Reserve, Queensland, New South Wales, and eastern Victoria.

This beautiful bird belongs to the family Dasyornithidae, and has typical features such as a brown body, pale gray underparts, and rufous wings. This species is also amongst the ground dwelling species of the world which makes them subject to habitat degradation and subsequent extinction.

The conservation status of the eastern bristlebird is Endangered and their population is threatened by factors such as forest fires and feral pigs. While conservation efforts are being made, the population of this species is still very low.

For more relatable content, check out these tufted titmouse facts and purple finch facts for kids.

Eastern Bristlebird Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an eastern bristlebird?

The eastern bristlebird is a bird. The Dasyornis brachypterus bird is endemic to Australia and is a threatened species.

What class of animal does an eastern bristlebird belong to?

In scientific terms, the eastern bristlebird belongs to the class of Aves, like almost all other bird species. In popular language, however, they are classified as birds.

How many eastern bristlebirds are there in the world?

The central populations of this threatened species consists of about 1600 birds which are concentrated around Jervis Bay and Barren Grounds Nature Reserve. Apart from this, there are only about 35 birds of this species left in southern Queensland, northern New South Wales, Sydney and along the Victorian borders. These form the southern populations and northern populations.

Where does an eastern bristlebird live?

The eastern bristlebird prefers typical rainforest-like nature and dense vegetation of Australia. This either consists of dense forest cover where they can pluck food from the foliage or dry lands where they can forage through the land for ants and other insects.

What is an eastern bristlebird's habitat?

The eastern bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus) species has a pretty small habitat range. The distribution of this species is found only in south eastern Australia.

The central populations are found in places such as the Barren Grounds Nature Reserve and Jervis Bay. The northern population is concentrated in southern Queensland, and the southern population is found along the New South Wales/Victorian borders.

Who do eastern bristlebirds live with?

This species of bird are usually found in small colonies that live in close vicinity to each other. The colonies are peaceful, however, the low numbers of the southern and northern populations do not allow for us to properly study their habits in full effect.

It is also interesting to note that the male eastern bristlebird is usually more strong and bigger than the female. The males of this species also have the tendency to be more territorial.

How long does an eastern bristlebird live?

The average lifespan of the eastern bristlebird can have a range of around four to six years.

How do they reproduce?

Eastern bristlebirds are an oviparous species, meaning they are egg-layers. While the exact process in which the male and female eastern bristlebird populations court each other or rear children is not known, we know that they are a ground nesting species and lay eggs among tussocks.

The average clutch size is around two eggs, however due to the small population size, captive breeding is the only method of studying their patterns.

What is their conservation status?

According to the IUCN, the conservation status of the eastern bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus) is Endangered. The northern population and southern population of the species are steadily declining to the degradation of their habitat or complete destruction of it.

Frequent wild-fires in Australia are one of the threats that is leading to the destruction of the dense vegetation that this bird species requires in order to thrive.

Conservation efforts are being made in order to increase the population of this Endangered species.

Eastern Bristlebird Fun Facts

What do eastern bristlebirds look like?

The eastern bristlebird  is a rather small species of birds from the Dasyornithidae family. These endangered birds have a brown colored body and rufous colored wings. The color of the wings are vibrant and gives them a distinct look.

Apart from this, their abdomens are of a light gray color which often camouflages them with their environment. They also have a small, sharp bill which helps them to pluck out insects from tree foliages as well as from the ground.

*Please note that this is a rufous bristlebird, of the bristlebird species. If you have an image of the eastern bristlebird, please let us know at hello@kidadl.com.

How cute are they?

These tiny birds from the family Dasyornithidae are unbelievably cute. Eastern bristlebirds from southern Queensland, northern New South Wales and eastern Victoria have similar features. They all have a brown or rufous upper body, long tail, and the most cute small bill.

How do they communicate?

The eastern bristlebird has a unique call which fits right into the idea of a typical 'chirp'. The call is sometimes loud and shrill if the situation is dangerous. The loud call is somewhat of a warning call.

Apart from this, their call is high-pitched and of moderate volume.

How big is an eastern bristlebird?

The eastern bristlebird is moderately sized when put in perspective with the other bird species of the world. The size of this bird can have a range of 7.08-8.6 in (18-22 cm).

Their long tail adds a lot to the overall size. To give you a better idea, a bateleur eagle is about three times the size of an eastern bristlebird.

How fast can an eastern bristlebird fly?

There are no records that can tell us the exact flight speed of the eastern bristlebird species.

How much does an eastern bristlebird weigh?

The eastern bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus) is a fairly light species, given its small size. Each bird has a weight in the range of 1.19-1.72 oz (34-49 g). A tawny owl is about 11 times as heavy as an average eastern bristlebird.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no distinct names for these Victorian male and female eastern bristlebirds, and it is very difficult to make out any difference in their appearances. We refer to them as a male eastern bristlebird and a female eastern bristlebird.

What would you call a baby eastern bristlebird ?

The baby eastern bristlebird, like other bird species, is called a nestling when it is bound to its nest and fed by its parents. Not much is known about the age at which the baby eastern bristlebird is able to fledge or find food for itself.

What do they eat?

The diet of the eastern bristlebird consists of insects such as army ants, grasshoppers, beetles, and termites. Out of these options, this species prefers eating ants the most. The food chain is wonderous isn't it?

Eastern bristlebirds fall prey to feral pigs and wild foxes.

Are they dangerous?

It is safe to say that eastern bristlebirds are not a dangerous species at all. They are peaceful if left alone with some birds of their kind. In large populations however, the male bird can become a little territorial.

Apart from this, their population in areas apart from the central populations in the Barren Lands Nature Reserve is so low that spotting one is so rare, let alone being threatened or attacked by them.

Would they make a good pet?

It is understandable why someone would like to have these colorful and small birds as a pet, but it is illegal to domesticate an endangered species. Not only that, since they are so territorial, especially the male birds, having an eastern bristlebird as a pet is not a good idea.

Did you know...

The eastern bristlebird species is endemic to south eastern Australia in places such as Queensland and Victoria.

The populations of this species are found in three parts. The central populations are the most dense and are found in the Barren Grounds Nature Reserve as well as in Jervis Bay where there is dense vegetation.

The southern populations are found in places such as Nadgee and Croajingalong, whereas the northern populations are found in southern Queensland, north eastern New South Wales, Victoria and along the New South Wales/Victorian border.

Wild fires are one of the foremost reasons why the habitual environment of this species is being degraded and is a continual threat towards the species.

Eastern bristlebirds are named after the bristles that we can find on either side of their bills.

Do eastern bristlebird migrate?

The eastern bristlebird species is not a migratory bird species of the world. The birds are endemic to Australia, and the range of their habitat ensures that all the resources are available to them in the environment.

How many eggs do eastern bristlebird lay?

The eastern bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus) is known to lay two eggs in each clutch. The breeding season starts in August and finishes in February. Normally, only one clutch is laid. Biannual laying of eggs is rare, meaning the populations hardly stand a chance at seeing a steady rise.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our sunbird facts and crowned eagle facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable bird coloring pages.