The rufous songlark is a species in the family Locustellidae endemic to Australia.
Region
Australia
Typical Environment
Found widely across inland and southern Australia, especially in open woodlands, grasslands, and agricultural country. It favors eucalypt woodlands with a grassy understory, mallee and acacia shrublands, and pasture or stubble fields with scattered trees. Dense forests and closed-canopy habitats are generally avoided. It readily uses edges such as road verges, creek lines, and lightly burned or grazed areas. In winter, many birds shift to warmer, more northerly interior regions.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A member of the grassbird family Locustellidae, the rufous songlark is a summer visitor to southern Australia, famous for the male’s far-carrying, exuberant song delivered from exposed perches or in fluttering display flights. It often benefits from lightly grazed or recently disturbed habitats where grasses are open. Nests are low, well-concealed cups in grass or shrubs, and broods are occasionally parasitized by bronze-cuckoos. Its movements are largely within Australia, shifting northward in winter and south to breed.
Rufous songlark in Victoria
Temperament
often conspicuous when singing, otherwise retiring and ground-oriented
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with fluttering, parachuting display flights
Social Behavior
Typically forms territorial breeding pairs in spring–summer, with males singing from exposed perches or in display flights. The cup-shaped nest is placed low in grass or shrubs and usually holds 2–3 eggs. Pairs defend small territories; bronze-cuckoo parasitism occurs in some areas.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
A loud, rich, and varied series of trills and phrases that carries far over open country. Males sing persistently during the breeding season from fence lines, trees, or in flight, often delivering long, exuberant bouts.
Plumage
Warm rufous-brown above with paler buff underparts and a light rufous wash on the breast; fairly plain overall with fine, indistinct streaking. The rump and uppertail coverts show a rufous tone, and the tail is slightly graduated.
Diet
Primarily consumes insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, ants, and spiders, taken from the ground or low vegetation. It occasionally takes small seeds, especially outside the breeding season. Foraging is mostly by gleaning and short dashes on or near the ground.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in open grasslands, lightly grazed paddocks, stubble fields, and the understory of open eucalypt woodland. Frequently works along edges, fence lines, and patches of low shrubs where invertebrate prey is abundant.
