Brown Thornbills Poem by Francis Duggan

I oft see them in suburban garden as from branch to branch they fly
The tiniest of the tiny though of mankind not so shy
One of Australia's smallest birds even smaller than blue wren
Chase insects on the wattle trees close to the homes of men.

Neglected by the bards and poets and with no claim to renown
A plain bird the brown thornbill in olive, gray and brown
They go almost un-noticed inconspicuous by their size
But they sing and mimic other birds and they don't fail to surprise.

Their time is brief they do not have a long life to enjoy
A year or so the average they soon grow old and die
So little time for mimicking, so little time to sing
And only the minority enjoy their second Spring.

In park and suburban garden i see them every day
As they fly about from branch to branch in search of insect prey
The little plain brown thornbills the tiniest of the free
Like tiny balls of feathers on branch of garden tree.