Southern Scrub-Robin
Drymodes brunneopygia
Long-legged songbird found in semi-arid parts of southern Australia. Grayish above, paler gray below, with faint wingbars and long tail, often flicked upward. Very subtle dark mark through the eye and cheek. Usually seen running around on the ground in open woodland, although male also sings from higher perches. Main call is a repeated three-note rising whistle, "chip-dee-deee," but also makes rough, buzzy alarm calls.
Identification
It is a relatively dull and large robin, adults being around 22 centimetres (9 in) in length, of which around a third is the tail feathers. Most of the plumage is grey, except for a dullish red tail and patterned black-and-white wings. The legs are unusually long for a passerine, and are frequently used to hop through the dense heathland that forms the bird's habitat, where it searches for insects and other small invertebrates.
Taxonomy
The southern scrub robin was formally described in 1841 by the English ornithologist John Gould under the current binomial name Drymodes brunneopygia. Gould noted that the bird was found near the Murray River in South Australia. The specific epithet combines the Modern Latin brunneus meaning "brown" with the Ancient Greek -pugios meaning "-rumped". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Drymodes brunneopygia
- Authority
- Gould, 1841
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Petroicidae
- Genus
- Drymodes
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The birds breed between July and December. The nest is built of twigs on the ground and is lined with twigs, grass and bark. Unusually for a passerine, the southern scrub robin lays only a single egg. It is grey-green in colour for camouflage amongst the sclerophyllous flora that forms its habitat. The egg is incubated for sixteen days. The young leave the nest after 10-13 days but continue to be fed by both parents.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Simple Greenbul
Chlorocichla simplex
As befits the name, this large, classically patterned greenbul is one of the easiest to identify visually in the field. A brown greenbul of thick bushes and forest edge, it has a bright white throat, a white belly, and white eye-arcs around its dark reddish eyes. Can be confused with Central African populations of Yellow-throated Greenbul that have white throats, but Simple Greenbul’s white eye-arcs and pale belly are distinctive. Song is a cawing, robust, variable chatter: “rar-ra-ra-kora-rawr.”
Ultramarine Grosbeak
Cyanoloxia brissonii
Stunning dark blue bird with a huge bill. Male is mostly deep cobalt with paler highlights on the shoulder and eyebrow and a darker patch around the eye. Female is rich reddish-brown overall. Found singly or in pairs in scrubby wooded habitats, often near water. Can be skulky, preferring to forage in dense thickets. Occurs mostly in southeastern South America, with disjunct populations in Venezuela and Colombia. Compare with Blue-black Grosbeak, which doesn’t overlap much in range and is typically found in heavier forest.
Fraser's Sunbird
Deleornis fraseri
A sunbird masquerading as a warbler, this medium-sized sunbird of forest and forest edge is often found in small groups or mixed-species flocks searching the understory deliberately for insects. Overall yellow-green with more olive tones to the head. Has distinctive pale spectacles around its eye and a large, slightly decurved bill. Could be confused with longbills, but note Fraser’s Sunbird’s decurved bill and noticeable spectacles around the eyes. Calls include a short, dry “tiktiktik!” The song is a longer set of sunbird-like notes with noticeable pauses in between, varying in quality from clear whistles to trills: “dree, djier, drtil, drtil.”
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.