Varied Sittella

1. Thin, slightly upturned bill and bright yellow eye-ring.

2. Short tail, compact body, and highly variable head colouration depending on subspecies.

3. Prominent pale wing stripe (orange-rufous or white) visible in flight.

Varied Sittellas feed mainly on insects and other arthropods, gleaning prey from bark, branches, and twigs, and often moving downwards or spiraling along trunks. Their foraging technique includes wedging the lower mandible under bark flakes to dislodge prey. They breed cooperatively, with a primary breeding pair assisted by up to seven helpers, often previous offspring. The nest is a deep, cup-shaped structure camouflaged with bark and spiderwebs, typically placed high in a tree fork. Only the breeding female incubates the eggs, but all group members help feed the young and remove waste. Females lay 2–4 eggs per clutch, and breeding can occur from June to April, peaking between August and January.

Varied Sittellas are found throughout most of mainland Australia, absent only from treeless deserts and open grasslands. They inhabit eucalypt forests and woodlands, acacia shrublands, mallee, and areas with mature rough-barked trees, as well as roadside and farm trees, orchards, and parks. They are rarely found in rainforests or dense, ferny undergrowth. Flocks are often seen moving methodically along branches and trunks, foraging in a zigzag pattern and calling continuously with a sharp “chip-chip”.