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Current in print field guides highlight this division with the CSIRO The Australian Bird Guide (first printed 2018 and revised edition) only recognises the striated fieldwren and the rufous fieldwren.
VIC: Vulnerable
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Rock Field-Lark, Rusty-Red Fieldwren, Western Fieldwren, Desert Wren, Field Lark, Fieldwren, Rusty Fieldwren, Rock Field-Wren
At a glance
FamilyThornbills and Allies
SizeTiny
RarityUncommon
HabitatDense shrubs, grassy margins, scrub, hedgerows, and low cover near open feeding patches.
Best timeMost reliable in South Australia from August to October.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Louis Masarei
Range map
Range map
785visible hotspots
5993visible 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
Small bird of open arid shrubland and grasslands. Pale brown above, whitish below, with distinct pale supercilium, faint chest streaking, and long, cocked tail. Similar to Western Fieldwren but no range overlap. Compare Shy Heathwren, which has a white wing spot and darker legs.
Behavior
Forages quietly on the ground or in thick vegetation, where difficult to see. Most easily observed when males sing in spring, as they perch up in the vegetation.
Gallery