Rufous Bristlebird

Long -billed bird paint

Called The Long -billed bird paint ( Dasyornis broadbenti ), also red-headed bird, or paint Zimtkopf - Borstenschüpfer, is a rare bird from the family of paint birds.

Description

It takes its name from its brown, as painted glossy, water-repellent plumage on the back, head and tail. The belly is white in color, the chest is slightly stocky gray. The beak is black and the feet are gray. On Schnabel approach he has fine bristles spring, which probably serve to protect the eyes.

Dissemination and lifestyle

Although the birds can fly well, they live mostly hidden on the ground in the heather and the grass areas in the southeast and southwest Australia. The bird feeds mainly on seeds, insects and other invertebrates that it finds on the ground. The males sing mostly in small groups of up to five animals to impress passing females. The singing of birds is similar to a harsh squeal.

There are four subspecies:

• Dasyornis broadbenti littoralis Distribution: Australia's southwest, last seen in 1940, probably extinct
• Dasyornis broadbenti whitei Origin: South Australia
• Dasyornis broadbenti broadbenti Origin: South Australia, Victoria
• Dasyornis broadbenti caryochrous Origin: Southern Victoria

Reproduction

The breeding takes place from September to December. The female builds on the ground an oval nest of grasses, which is lined with moss. The eggs, usually two, have white, red and purple spots. The incubation period is 11 to 22 days, the nestling period the boys up to 25 days. After the young birds still up to eight weeks to be cared for by both parents.

Endangering

These birds are like all ground-nesting birds of Australia by introduced rats, foxes, cats, rabbits, which destroy the brood, and the change of their habitat due to agriculture, urban sprawl, and threatened by bush fires occurring in their inventory. The IUCN classifies this type but due to its wide area of ​​distribution as (Least Concern ) does not endanger one.