During the breeding season males have a zigzagging flight display accompanied by regular "zit" calls that give it its English name.
At a glance
Sounds
Range map
Range map
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
Body sandy-colored below, streaky above. Breeding males have a dark bill and crown. Song varies across wide distribution, ranging from evenly-paced squeaky “tsik, tsik” of African and European birds to the fast dry ticking of Southeast Asian birds.
Behavior
Found in open grasslands, meadows, marshes, and agricultural areas. Most readily detected by its repetitive and monotonous song, given from either a perch or in an undulating song flight.
Gallery