Rufous Bristlebird
Dasyornis broadbenti
The Rufous Bristlebird (Dasyornis broadbenti) is a rare bristlebird found only in Australia, weighing about 68 g. The rufous bristlebird is one of three extant species of bristlebirds.
About the Rufous Bristlebird
The rufous bristlebird is one of three extant species of bristlebirds. It is endemic to Australia and three subspecies have been described, from coastal south-western Western Australia, south-eastern South Australia and south-western Victoria. Its natural habitat is coastal shrublands and heathlands. It is threatened by habitat destruction.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The rufous bristlebird is a medium-sized bird (approximately 77g) that is predominantly brown, with a long tail and short rounded wings. It has a rich rufous coloured head and ear coverts. The mantle, back and neck are dark brown with a faint reddish wash and a red-brown rump. A light grey marking surrounds the bird's eye and extends to the bill. The eyes of the rufous bristlebird are a reddish colour. Their legs and feet are a dark brown or grey-brown colour. It has a whitish throat with dark scalloping and a grey-brown breast also with scalloping.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Rufous Bristlebird can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Rufous Bristlebird?
- The rufous bristlebird is a medium-sized bird (approximately 77g) that is predominantly brown, with a long tail and short rounded wings. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Rufous Bristlebird?
- The Rufous Bristlebird is a medium sized bird weighing about 68 g.
- Where can you see a Rufous Bristlebird?
- The Rufous Bristlebird is endemic to Australia, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Rufous Bristlebird?
- The Rufous Bristlebird is most easily confused with the Eastern Bristlebird and the Western Bristlebird.
- Is the Rufous Bristlebird endangered?
- The Rufous Bristlebird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
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