Plain brownish songbird with faint pale eyebrow and rust-colored rump.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Mulaydjalbii
At a glance
FamilyGrassbirds and Allies
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from October.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
91660approx records
6states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Similar female White-winged Triller has white-edged wing panel. Brown Songlark larger, with longer legs and bill and more strongly patterned upperparts. Found across much of Australia, less so in the southeast, in treeless open habitats.
Behavior
Spectacular song includes long sequences of trills and loud electrical phrases, very unlike Brown Songlark.
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
Queensland
Western Australia
Victoria
Northern Territory
South Australia
Australian Capital Territory
Commonly confused with
Little GrassbirdPoodytes gramineusStreaked back, flanks, and breast; graduated tail often cocked upright. Usually detected by song, a clear, high-pitched, three-noted whistle.→Tawny GrassbirdCincloramphus timoriensisIt is streaked above and has a distinctive rich brown cap. Its underside is paler and it has a long graduated tail. The term "grassbird" was used by Gould during the mid 19th century to signify a strong correlation to long grass habitats. The tawny grassbird has also been known as tawny sphenoeacus, grassbird, tawny or rufous-capped marshbird, rufous-capped grass-warbler and rufous-capped grassbird.→White-winged TrillerLalage tricolorBreeding males have black crown and back, white underparts, black wings with bold white wing panels, and black tail with white tip. In nonbreeding plumage crown and back brown, with pale-edged feathers in dark upperwing. Female similar to nonbreeding male.→