The Eastern Spinebill is distributed in eastern and south-eastern Australia including Tasmania. It is found in forest, woodland and heaths and seems to be particularly attracted to the nectar of banksias as can be seen in these photos.

It has a very fine, long, decurved bill and a red eye. The crown is black on the male but grey on the female. Both sexes have black crescents on the sides of the breast and a garnet coloured throat patch surrounded by white. Remaining underparts are rufous-buff. The back of the neck is rufous merging to rufous-brown on the mantle.