Known as the "finest tailor of all birds", it constructs nests out of plants and spider threads.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyCisticolas and Allies
SizeTiny
RarityCommon
HabitatMarine and coastal; usually found over open ocean, offshore waters, islands, headlands, and other coastal areas.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from October to February.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Richard E. Webster
Range map
Range map
3802visible hotspots
186137visible records
5states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
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
Breeding adult males have orange-gold crown. Song a thin, high-pitched, drawn-out buzzing. Very similar Zitting Cisticola always has a streaked crown and a very different “tick-tick-tick” song but otherwise almost identical.
Behavior
Inhabits grasslands of northern and eastern Australia, where perches prominently. In similar grassland habitats, Tawny Grassbird has much longer tail.
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
Queensland
Northern Territory
Victoria
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
Australian Capital Territory