Southern Scrub-Robin

1. Large size and long legs, with a rusty-red tail frequently flicked upwards.

2. Grey-brown upperparts with paler underparts, and a subtle dark eye-stripe.

3. Faint double wingbars and white-tipped tail feathers visible when the tail is spread.

Southern Scrub-Robins are almost exclusively ground foragers, using their bills to flick through leaf litter in search of insects, ants, beetles, termites, spiders, and occasionally fruit. They are territorial, usually seen alone or in pairs, and maintain permanent territories year-round. Breeding occurs from July to December. The female builds a ground nest from twigs, lined with grass and bark, and typically lays only a single, well-camouflaged egga rare trait among songbirds. Both parents feed the chick, which leaves the nest after about 1–13 days but remains dependent for some time.

Southern Scrub-Robins are found across southern Australia, from southwestern Western Australia through South Australia to northwestern Victoria and parts of central and southwestern New South Wales. They inhabit dense mallee, broombush thickets, and heathland with a well-developed shrub layer, preferring areas with plenty of leaf litter and open patches between shrubs. Early morning is the best time to spot them, as males may sing from low perches, but they spend most of their time foraging on the ground. Listen for their musical three-note whistle, “chip-dee-deee,” which carries well through the scrub.