Photo: Peripitus / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Shy Heathwren
Hylacola cauta
Shy Heathwren (Hylacola cauta) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 5 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Shy Heathwren (Hylacola cauta) is a member of the Acanthizidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 15.2 g.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Acanthizidae Australasian Warblers
- Genus Hylacola
- Species cauta
Quick facts
- Weight
- 15.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Acanthizidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Shy Heathwren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Shy Heathwren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Shy Heathwren (Hylacola cauta) belongs to the Acanthizidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU s Australia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 15.2 g, with a wing length of about 5.5 cm and a tail of around 5.3 cm.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 972,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Shy Heathwren?
The Shy Heathwren is a small bird that weighs around 15.2 g.
Where does the Shy Heathwren live?
The Shy Heathwren is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU s Australia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Shy Heathwren belong to?
The Shy Heathwren (Hylacola cauta) belongs to the Acanthizidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Shy Heathwren eat?
The Shy Heathwren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Shy Heathwren migrate?
The Shy Heathwren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
What sound does the Shy Heathwren make?
1 real field recording of the Shy Heathwren — including its dawn song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Shy Heathwren's range?
The Shy Heathwren has a mapped global range of about 972,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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