Speckled Warbler Pyrrholaemus sagittatus Scientific name definitions

11–12·5 cm; 13·5 g. Distinctive aberrant streaked acanthizid, appearing large-eyed and pale-faced. Male has whitish forehead, dark brown crown with narrow pale streaks, black lateral crownstripe extending to hindneck, long narrow off-white supercilium; ear-coverts light grey-brown to darker brown, diffuse dark patch at lower rear corner; olive-grey upperparts with bold but diffuse blackish streaking, merging into more uniformly yellowish-brown rump and upper­tail-coverts; grey-brown tail with broad dark brown subterminal band and narrow white tip (tip often lost with wear); outer primaries with pale edgings (forming diffuse pale wingpanel); off-white below, creamy wash on chin, throat and breast, buff wash on flanks, all boldly marked with short black streaks (form wavy lines on breast and flanks); iris red-brown, less often brown to pale yellow or cream; bill grey-black to grey-brown, often slightly paler base; legs variable, from dark grey to pinky brown with contrasting dark grey feet. Female is similar to male, but has black lateral crownstripe edged rufous above and behind eye. Juvenile is similar to female, but top of head diffusely spotted or streaked creamy.

E Australia from E Queensland S to SW Victoria; mainly on slopes and tablelands of Great Dividing Range.

Dry sclerophyll eucalypt (Eucalyptus) forests and woodlands with grassy ground layer and scattered shrubs, mainly on slopes and tablelands, extending to semi-arid plains and floodplains inland, with preference for rocky ridges and gulleys. Sometimes in mallee with cypress pine (Callitris), and in dense acacia (Acacia) shrubland. Ground layer evidently important, with grass, bracken (Pteridium) and sedges and golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha) saplings preferred in some areas. Sometimes occurs in towns and gardens.

Insectivorous, but will take seeds and plant material. Major prey items beetles (Coleoptera), wasps and winged ants (Hymenoptera), lepidopteran larvae, mantids and grasshoppers (Orthoptera); plant material taken includes seeds of chenopods and of genera Panicum, Polygonum, Geranium, Rumex, Portulaca and Hybanthus. Usually in pairs or in small parties of up to six individuals. Feeds by gleaning and probing leaf litter while hopping on ground ; also forages in shrubs, saplings, grass tussocks and fallen timber. Will sally after flying insects. Prey swallowed whole, or dismembered if too large. Readily joins mixed-species flocks, especially in non-breeding season, including those with Acanthiza species, Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis), Scarlet Robin (Petroica boodang), Sericornis frontalis, Yellow-faced Honeyeater (Caligavis chrysops), Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus), Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), Smicrornis brevirostris, and a variety of other woodland species.

Song a sweet musical twittery phrase 4–8 seconds long with some quiet, dry, harsh tearing scolds, by both sexes, but male song louder, more protracted and given more frequently; frequently mimics (and has been known to sing and mimic when held in the hand for ringing). Calls include harsh chatter, single plaintive whistle, and harsh single-note alarm; flight call a short “pip”.

Recorded in all months except May, with distinct peak Sept–Nov; up to three broods per season. Breeds as simple pair or as trio; trio consists of one female and two males (members of such groups unrelated), secondary male not assisting in brood-rearing, breeding system thus polyandrous, rather than co-operative. Nest domed, with side entrance, sometimes forming a short tunnel, made of bark, dried grass, leaves and moss, lined with feathers, fur, downy grass and feathery seeds, average external diameter variously 10·2 cm or 11·4 cm, external depth 7·6 cm or 8·3 cm, entrance diameter 2·5 cm; well concealed in small depression on ground among grass tussocks (32 out of 57 nests in Nest Record Scheme), shrubs, fallen branches, rocks or leaves, often at base of plants and sheltered by trees or shrubs; site often reused, but makes new nest annually and when making new breeding attempt. Clutch 2–4 eggs, usually 3, highly distinctive, light or dull cochineal-red, bright chocolate-red, brownish-terracotta or chocolate-brown, sometimes with darker cap at large end; incubation by female alone, period 17–20 days; chicks brooded by female, fed by female and primary male, nestling period 15–19 days. Nests parasitized by Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis) and Black-eared Cuckoo (Chalcites osculans).

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near-threatened. Although relatively abundant, with estimated global population of as many as 400,000 individuals, density is declining throughout range. Historically, flocks containing more than 50 individuals were recorded in autumn (Mar), but no such recent records. Negative factors are habitat clearance for timber, stock and urban development, resulting in arrival of invasive plant species and predator increase; also, overgrazing leading to salinization, and changes to vegetation structure and composition, are contributing to habitat fragmentation and degradation, to which this acanthizid appears particularly vulnerable. Effects of drought and fire may also be significant, particularly as habitat becomes more patchy and prone to damage.