Rufous Songlark

1. Bright rusty rump and uppertail coverts, especially visible in flight.

2. Warm buffy-brown upperparts with bold dark streaks and a faint pale eyebrow.

3. Relatively plain, pale buffy-grey underparts with minimal markings.

Rufous Songlarks feed primarily on insects and other small arthropods, foraging by walking and running on the ground between grass tussocks. They also eat some seeds. Breeding occurs from August to February, peaking in spring and early summer. The species is strongly polygamous, with some males mating with multiple females. Males sing complex songs from prominent perches or in flight to attract mates and defend territories. Females build deep, cup-shaped nests of grass well-hidden on the ground and are solely responsible for incubating the 3–4 eggs and raising the chicks. After breeding, Rufous Songlarks become quieter and disperse widely.

Rufous Songlarks inhabit lightly wooded grasslands, savanna, and farmland with scattered tall trees across most of mainland Australia, except Cape York Peninsula, Tasmania, and the arid interior of Western Australia. They breed mainly south of the Tropic of Capricorn and disperse more widely in the non-breeding season. Look for them in open country, especially in agricultural areas, woodland edges, and roadside vegetation. Males are most conspicuous during the breeding season, singing from treetops, fence posts, or other elevated perches.