Rufous songlark facts for kids
The rufous songlark (Cincloramphus mathewsi) is a small bird found only in Australia. It belongs to a bird family called Locustellidae.
Quick facts for kids Rufous songlark |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cincloramphus
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| Species: |
mathewsi
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| Synonyms | |
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Megalurus mathewsi |
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Contents
What is the Rufous Songlark?
The rufous songlark is a type of passerine bird, also known as a songbird. These birds are part of the Megaluridae family, which includes many Old World warblers.
An English bird expert named Tom Iredale first described the rufous songlark in 1911. The name Cincloramphus comes from ancient Greek words. Cinclus means "wagtail" and ramphos means "beak." The second part of its scientific name, mathewsi, honors a person named Gregory Mathews.
People also call this bird by other names, such as the red-rumped songlark, rufous singing lark, or skylark.
What Does the Rufous Songlark Look Like?
The rufous songlark is a medium-sized brown songbird. It has streaky patterns on its feathers. Some people describe it as looking a bit like a lark and not very colorful.
This bird has a dark line that goes through its eye. It also has a pale eyebrow and light-colored feathers on its belly. Its upper tail and rump (the area above its tail) are a reddish-brown color, which is called rufous.
The male rufous songlark is a bit bigger than a house sparrow. It grows to about 19 centimeters (7.5 inches) long. The female is smaller, reaching about 16 centimeters (6.3 inches).
The rufous songlark looks similar to the brown songlark. However, male brown songlarks are much larger than male rufous songlarks. Also, female brown songlarks do not have the reddish-brown rump that female rufous songlarks do.
Where Do Rufous Songlarks Live?
The rufous songlark is common across most of mainland Australia. However, it is not often seen in the northern part of the Northern Territory. It is also rare on the island of Tasmania.
These birds live in a very large area, covering millions of square kilometers. You can find C. mathewsi most often in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia.
Each year, when the weather gets colder, rufous songlarks fly north. When summer comes, they migrate south to breed. This means you usually only see them in warmer months in the southern parts of Australia.
How Do Rufous Songlarks Behave?
The rufous songlark usually hunts for food close to the ground. It eats insects and other small arthropods.
These birds like to live in grasslands and open woodlands with lots of grass. They also live in farm areas and places with mulga trees. Because they live in areas where people are, sometimes they get hit by cars on roads.
When it's not breeding season, these birds gather in small flocks. These groups can have up to 24 birds.
During the breeding season, the male rufous songlark sings almost all the time. His song is very lively and easy to recognize. He chirps and arches his back while flying slowly between trees. These are special "display flights" to attract a mate. People have even put the rufous songlark's unique "twitchy tweedle" song on CDs of Australian birdsongs.
The female bird builds a deep nest by herself. She uses grass and hides it among other grasses or low plants. She also sits on the eggs to keep them warm (this is called incubating). After the chicks hatch, she raises the fledglings (young birds) on her own, without help from the male.
See also
In Spanish: Yerbera de Mathews para niños
