The Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Neosericornis citreogularis) is a small ground-dwelling rainforest bird found in regions of Australia’s east coast. Formerly in the genus Sericornis.

The male bird has a black masked face and ear coverts, with a yellow throat and eyebrow, whilst the female has a brownish face. The crown and upperparts are brown, the underparts light olive-cream to white and the wings are dark brown, the primaries edged with yellow. The iris is reddish and they have pinkish to cream legs.

They are seen foraging on the rainforest floor, hopping around looking for and feeding mainly on insects. It is usually seen actively hopping around and foraging on the rainforest floor, as it feeds exclusively on the ground. May mimic the calls of other species.

They may breed twice or more in a season. The nests are large, pear-shaped structures that are suspended, often over water from branches or vine. Made from and lined with dried grasses, leaves, palm fibre, ferns, sticks and bark. They also line the nest with feathers. The nest may be mistaken for flood debris.

Images © Dorothy L


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Class: Aves
  • Order: Passeriformes
  • Family: Acanthizidae
  • Genus: Neosericornis
  • Species: N. citreogularis
  • Binomial name: Neosericornis citreogularis
  • Subspecies:
    • N. c. cairnsi
    • N. c. citreogularis
    • N. c. intermedius
  • Synonyms
  • Sericornis citreogularis

Footnote & References

  1. Yellow-throated scrubwren, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-throated_scrubwren (last visited Aug. 7, 2021).
  2. Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Sericornis citreogularis), eBird, https://ebird.org/species/yetscr1
  3. Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Sericornis citreogularis), BirdLife Australia, https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/yellow-throated-scrubwren/