Varied Sittella
Daphoenositta chrysoptera

The Varied Sittella is a small bird (11-13 cm) widespread across Australia and can be common in wooded areas. They occur in four or five distinct races with a wide range of markings - this bird is of race chrysoptera. They are superficially quite similar to nutchatches and behave in a very similar manner - climbing head-first down tree trunks and branches, inspecting the bark for invertabrates. They often move around in large family groups which break up into small breeding units. All members of a breeding group (usually a male, a female and several non-breeding adults as well as birds from the previous year's brood) build the well-camouflaged nest and tend to the chicks.
 

Varied Sittella

1: Katoomba, NSW, 02/06/2011.