Australia, mainly in interior, with few records from northern tropics.
 
Western Queensland, western New South Wales, north-western Victoria, northern South Australia and Central Australia, Western Australia south of the Kimberley to Morawa and Eucla.
 
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Nest
Cup-shaped, composed of grass and fine rootlets, lined with finer materials, in a low bush or tall grass.
Eggs (Guide)
Usually 3, sometimes 4; white, sometimes with a faint pink tinge, spotted with red-black, sepia and red-brown, mainly at the larger end; oval; about 18 x 13 mm. Incubation: about 12 days; by both sexes.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 10 days.
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Similar Species
Male with male Yellow Chat (Epthianura crocea) which has a short black crescent breast band, a white eye and lacks the black face, with the females being hard to distinguish in the field but has less brown upperparts and female with female Gibberbird (Ashbyia lovensis) which is slioghtly larger, has a whitish-yellow eyering and a paler head and neck.
Compare Images
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9