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Small bird of dense heath and shrubland in southeastern Australia.
NT: Vulnerable
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Chestnut-Tailed Ground-Wren, Scrub-Warbler, Ground-Wren, Red-Rumped Scrub-Warbler, Heath Wren, Chestnut-Rumped Ground-Wren
At a glance
FamilyThornbills and Allies
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatDense shrubs, grassy margins, scrub, hedgerows, and low cover near open feeding patches.
Best timeReported across most months in New South Wales, with no narrow seasonal peak.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Zebedee Muller
Range map
Range map
612visible hotspots
6288visible records
3states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Pale brown above, whitish below, with distinct pale supercilium, red-brown rump, small white patch at the base of primaries, fine dark chest streaking, and long, cocked tail. Compare Shy Heathwren, which has a white wing spot, more black in wing, and darker legs.
Behavior
Forages quietly on the ground or in thick vegetation, where difficult to see.
Gallery