Yellow Rumped Thornbills

Searching for insects on the ground them I often do see Such tiny birds their eggs small as a pea With yellow on their rumps of lightish fawn to gray I see them often though not every day. Not that much bigger than a butterfly Yellow rumped thornbills the name they are known by They live in small flocks and feed on the ground And they look so tiny as they hop around. So vulnerable in their defenceless way To kookaburras, hawks and magpies they sometimes fall prey Yet every Spring their numbers multiply And the tag of Nature's survivors to them does apply. As they do fly the yellow on their rumps does show But of them little I can claim to know If I said how long they live I would be telling a lie Only know that they do quickly age and die.