Rufous Songlark
Rufous Songlark
Male 19 cm, female 16-17 cm. Male larger than female: in both sexes note distinctly rufous rump and uppertail-coverts. Male, breeding: bill black; slight dark eyeline; pale fawn eyebrow; netted pattern to wing feathers; underparts greyish fawn with slight necklet of spots/streaks. Singing, male shows black mouth-lining (female pink). Male, Non-breeding: like female. Female: bill grey-brown, paler on sides; lacks dark eyeline; note pale eyebrow/throat, rufous rump/uppertail-coverts. Tail mid-brown, without white edges; feathers pointed. Singles or loose flocks. Male territorial behaviour conspicuous, attracting females to mate and build nests in or near his territory. Otherwise quiet, easily missed; moves unobtrusively through grass and foliage of shrubs, trees.
- Similar Species
- Brown Songlark, female. Australian Pipit. White-winged Triller, female.
- Voice
- male song has sweet, splintered, ventriloquial quality; begins with clear loud trill, develops into full, loud ringing refrain, sweet, high-pitched and strong 'a-witchy-weedle', repeated; uttered from high perches in territory, e.g. large dead or live tree, telephone wires, and in flight between such high points or while descending to ground. Also scolding rattle; alarm call, sharp 'tik'.
- Habitat
- open grassy woodlands/scrublands; with dead and living trees.
- Breeding
- Sept.-Dec.
- Nest
- deep cup of grasses; in depression or in shelter of tussock.
- Eggs
- 3-4; white, speckled reddish, mostly at large end.
- Range & Status
- widespread across mainland Aust. except n. C. York Pen. (Q); driest, treeless deserts, heavy forests and closely settled coastal regions. Patchy, irregular e. and s. of Gt Divide. Migratory, moving s. in spring to breed, n. in autumn. Winter visitor to n. Aust., but many overwinter inland. Breeds mostly in se. Aust. s. inland of Gt Divide, and in coastal/sub-coastal WA s. of Tropic. Uncommon to seasonally common.
