Brown Songlark

1. Extreme sexual size dimorphism: males are more than twice the weight of females and much larger in size.

2. Breeding males are dark cinnamon-brown with black bill and eyes; females are sandy brown with streaking and paler underparts.

3. Long legs and tail, with males performing conspicuous aerial display flights and singing a loud, metallic, repetitive song`.`

Brown Songlarks feed mainly on insects and seeds, with spiders being an important food for male chicks to support rapid growth. They forage on the ground, walking and running through grasses. The species is highly nomadic, moving in response to rainfall and avoiding drought-affected areas. Breeding occurs from August to December in the south (or after rain in the north), with nests built in deep grass or at the base of shrubs. Females lay 2–5 eggs per clutch and are solely responsible for incubation (11–13 days) and chick rearing. Males are polygynous, defending large territories that may support multiple nesting females, but do not assist in raising young. Nestlings are fed mainly by the female for 1–14 days before fledging`.`

Brown Songlarks are found across most of mainland Australia except the far north and Tasmania, favouring open grasslands, pastures, short crops, and grassy shrubland`.` They are especially common in the south, but local abundance fluctuates with rainfall. During breeding season (mainly south of the Tropic of Capricorn), males are conspicuous on fence posts or in display flights, while the species disperses more widely in non-breeding periods, sometimes forming scattered flocks. In Queensland, they are widespread west of the Great Dividing Range and may breed as far north as Richmond.