The spinifexbird is endemic to inland Australia. Also known as Carter's desertbird, it is named after Thomas Carter, an English ornithologist and pastoralist active in Western Australia from 1887 to 1928.
Region
Australian arid interior
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily across inland Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and parts of South Australia and western Queensland where mature spinifex (Triodia) dominates. It favors extensive sandplains and dune fields with dense hummocks that provide both nesting sites and foraging cover. In highly arid landscapes it often keeps close to low shrubs or drainage lines bordering spinifex. Presence can be locally common where suitable habitat is continuous, but absent where spinifex is sparse or recently burnt.
Altitude Range
0–1000 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called Carter's desertbird, this secretive warbler is tightly tied to Australia's spiky spinifex (Triodia) grasslands. It often stays low within dense hummocks, cocking its long tail and making brief, low flights between cover. After significant rain in the arid interior, it may breed opportunistically when insects are abundant.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low bounding flights between cover
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, keeping close to dense spinifex. Nests are placed low within hummocks; breeding often follows periods of good rain. Pairs maintain small territories and communicate with soft contact calls from within cover.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a dry, insect-like trill interspersed with metallic ticking notes, often delivered from a concealed perch within spinifex. Calls include sharp tzk or tik notes that can be hard to locate in windy conditions.
Plumage
Fine, streaked sandy-brown upperparts with paler buff underparts and light streaking on the breast. The tail is relatively long and often held cocked; wings and tail show warmer rufous-brown tones. Texture is sleek but not glossy, blending well with spinifex and red sand.
Diet
Primarily takes small invertebrates such as ants, beetles, termites, grasshoppers, and spiders gleaned from within and around spinifex clumps. It probes among leaf litter and at the bases of hummocks, occasionally sallying short distances to pick prey. Seeds may be taken opportunistically but form a minor part of the diet.
Preferred Environment
Feeds within dense Triodia hummocks, along their edges, and in adjacent sandy openings. It also forages near low shrubs and along ephemeral drainage lines where insects are concentrated after rain.
