Capturing images of acrobatic Eastern Spinebills among the blossoms is one of my favourite ways to while away some hours.
Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris)
If you get a good look at one of these tiny honeyeaters they are super easy to identify as they have such a long, de-curved bill. They are about 15cm from the tip of their bill to the end of their tail and they weigh about 11g and their markings and eye colour are extraordinarily beautiful.
Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris)
Sometimes I touch a blossom where they’ve been gathering nectar and it’s surprising how little pressure it takes to bend the plant. I like the way this bird has stretched its legs to get a firm foot hold.
Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris)
The spinebill above is starting to get some of its dark, adult plumage on its head, along with some russet feathers on its neck. Like other honeyeaters, spinebills have brush-tipped tongues to help them take nectar. The length of the spinebill’s beak means that it can gather nectar from long tubular flowers like kangaroo paws.
Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris)
The image above was taken using a shutter speed of 1/1600th of a second, which was still not fast enough to freeze its wings. I often like motion-blur in cases like this as it seems to more accurately portray the moment. Spinebills are the closest we have to hummingbirds.
Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris)
Those spindly little legs don’t seem strong enough to suspend this acrobat as it feeds and helps to pollinate various plant species.
If anyone can identify the plant species I’ll add a note (and credit your brilliance). I don’t think they’re all natives, I hope none are weeds.
Happy birding
Kim
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[…] This young Eastern Spinebill has its long, de-curved bill deep inside the Kangaroo Paw where it is using its brush-tipped tongue to lap up the nectar. They measure just 15cm (much of which is their long bill) and weigh 11g, which is about the same as two teaspoons of sugar. Adult Eastern Spinebills have striking markings and are acrobatic feeders – images of the adults can be seen in other posts, including Among the blossoms […]
Many thanks to everyone who contacted me via these comments, email or fb with suggestions about the plants. Salvia seems confirmed, along with kangaroo paw and pineapple sage. I’ll be googling everything to confirm the species mentioned.
Hello Kim,
Here is a bird that is on my list 🙂
It’s very beautiful and your pictures are perfect, as usual.
The purple flowers are very beautiful with the plumage of the bird.
The red flowers are Salvia grahamii. Origin United States of America. There are some in all the gardens in France and with different colors. I love these flowers, insects too but I have never seen a bird come to feed on nectar????? It’s fabulous to see that in your house !
Very great pictures.
All the best.
Thank you for the Salvia information, Nath, and your kind comments. I sincerely hope you get to watch these beautiful little honeyeaters.
Great shots! I love the picture of the one on the wire, they’re such beautiful little birds! I’ve never been lucky enough to see one.
They are exquisite Donna, I hope you get to see one soon
Yes! They visit our erimophilas every four hours letting me know they are there with their repeated high pitch call.
How beautiful. I have one erimophila here but am yet to see them on it, I should stake it out next flowering season.
It seems to be closing before I have finished.
A friend says it belongs to the salvia greggi group. It is one of the cultivars so cannot pinpoint it.
It was working Margot, I thought I’d let you know. Thank you for persevering
A friends says it belongs to the salvia greggi group. One of the cultivars which he cannot determine. Hope this helps.
Thank you, a few people have mentioned salvias, I’ll google the ‘greggi’ group
Beautiful, beautiful things.
I do love the ‘upside down Nellie’ shot.
They are so acrobatic! You missed my comment on myjustsostory, I’d mentioned that your post had made me sing aloud, thank you
A wonderful set of photographs. You have captured the essence of this bird.
That’s a lovely thing to say, thank you
Another good write up Kim 😊
Thank you Bill 🙂