Rufous Bristlebird Dasyornis broadbenti

Rufous Bristlebird Dasyornis broadbenti

Wye Valley, Victoria, Australia
February 2006

The Rufous Bristlebird is distributed along the coast of Victoria from Anglesea to Peterborough (D. b. caryochrous) and along the coast from Port Fairy, Victoria to the mouth of the Coorong, South Australia (nominate sub-species). There was a third sub-species (D. b. litoralis) in Western Australia between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Mentelle but this now appears to be extinct. It was last seen in 1940.

It is found in coastal scrub and undergrowth in small valleys in temperate rainforest. Photo 1 was taken in a caravan park. It is the largest bristlebird with rufous crown and ear coverts, olive-grey upperparts with a rufous wash on the wings. Underparts are scalloped pale grey. The nominate sub-species is a much lighter rufous than the birds in these photos.

When disturbed it runs swiftly along the ground spreading out its long tail.

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