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With the heaviest bird in the world, the Common Ostrich, weighing up to 156kg (346lb) it’s pretty staggering that the species I’m sharing today have an average weight of 6-7g.

Weebills are Australia’s tiniest bird. Their average weight is 6g, the same as six paperclips. I put six paperclips in my hand and felt totally awed by such tiny birds; the weight was imperceptible. If I’ve done the maths correctly it would take 26,000 Weebills to equal the weight of one Common Ostrich.

I was lucky to see the one above out in the open as I usually see them in the treetops.

Weebills were named because of their ‘wee bill’ which is quite distinctive. They spend much of their time foraging for scale insects in the canopy, where they can be difficult to see as they are often smaller than the leaves.

The Brown Thornbill photograph above is one of my favourite shots. These tiny birds weigh between 6g and 7g and are absolute gems. I love the little scallop shapes on its head and those wispy feathers fluffing around its wing. Capturing this bird with its tail down as it came into land, is pretty unique.

A slightly different pose shows off more of its streaked underparts and its desperately thin legs.

It can often be tricky to identify these LBBs or LBJs (Little Brown Birds, or Little Brown Jobs, depending where you live). I used to long for a ‘thornbill species’ category when surveying for the New Atlas of Australian Birds but once you get your eye in it gets easier and easier and the gorgeous details that grace each species become clearer and clearer.

Happy birding, Kim

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