Nest
Globular, with a side-entrance, composed of dry grass, lined with feathers, placed beneath a low bush, occasionally on open ground.
Eggs (Guide)
3, occasionally 4; pale chocolate to purple-brown, indistinctly freckled with darker shadings, a distinct cap at the larger end; long-oval; about 21 x 15 mm. Incubation: probably by female only.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in less than 17 days. Fed by both parents.
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Striated Fieldwren (Calamanthus fuliginosus) and Western Fieldwren (Calamanthus montanellus) and all have often been treated as conspecific, especially present species and Western Fieldwren (Calamanthus montanellus). Further study required in order fully to resolve relationships within the genus. Subspecies fall into groups on basis mainly of plumage characters: greyer "nominate group" (including also rubiginosus); rufous-brown and less streaked "isabellinus group" (with wayensis); pale "dorrie group" (with hartogi); and long-billed subspecies winiam.
Proposed subspecies ethelae (Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas, in South Australia) synonymized with nominate.
The following 8 subspecies are recognised:
campestris (Gould, 1841) - SA from southern Lake Frome Basin and western Murray - Mallee in the east, south to about 35° south, west to southern Flinders Ranges, southern York and coastal Eyre Peninsulas, then then west across the Nullarbor Plain to Balladonia - Israelite Bay in WA.
winiam Campbell, AJ & Campbell, AG, 1927 - Big and Little Deserts of Vic, Ninety Mile Desert, SA west to The Coorong and Meningie, SA.
isabellinus North, 1896 - South-western rim of Lake Eyre Basin, SA, north to Lower Finke River, west to Coober Pedy and east to northern Lake Frome Basin.
rubiginosus A. J. Campbell, 1899 - Central-western coast of mainland WA, from Exmouth Gulf to near Geraldton.
montanellus Milligan, 1903 - South-western Australia. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Western Fieldwren (Calamanthus montanellus).
dorrie Mathews, 1912 - Dorre Island, Shark Bay, WA.
hartogi Carter, 1916 - Dirk Hartog Island, Shark Bay, WA.
wayensis Mathews, 1912 - Saltlakes of central WA between Sandstone - Meekatharra and Great sandy Desert.
Similar Species
Striated Fieldwren (Calamanthus fuliginosus) which has greenish-olive upperparts and pale yellowish or buffish underparts, has clearly black streaked uppertail coverts, with Shy Heathwren (Calamanthus cautus) which has a black-and-white chevron on the wing, a chestnut rump, and a boldly black with white tail, and whiter underparts.
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
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