Chirruping Wedgebill Psophodes cristatus Scientific name definitions

19·5–20 cm; 39–42 g. Has conspicuous forward-curving crest dark brown, often with black tip; otherwise grey-brown above, wings somewhat darker than upperparts; tail dark grey-brown or brown, all feathers except central pair broadly tipped white; chin, throat and centre of belly off-white, breast and belly side pale grey-brown (paler than and contrasting with upperparts), breast with faint diffuse streaking, undertail-coverts brown; iris dark brown; bill black; legs dark grey. Sexes alike. Juvenile is similar to adult but paler, with plumage fluffier, secondaries and upperwing-coverts edged with light cinnamon, bill pale; immature also like adult, but bill horn-brown, edges of secondaries and wing-coverts paler.

SE Northern Territory, SW Queensland, NE South Australia and NW New South Wales.

Low shrublands, particularly chenopods, such as bluebush (Maireana), and acacia (Acacia), also other low dense vegetation such as emu-bush (Eremophila), lignum around swamps and waterways, and canegrass associations.

Not well understood; no large-scale movements known, but possibly nomadic in response to local resources; considered resident in some areas. All recaptured marked individuals were found less than 10 km from site where initially ringed.

Diet consists of insects and some seeds. Forages singly, in pairs and in small groups; rarely joins mixed species foraging flocks. Feeds on ground; said to forage also in low vegetation.

Song one of earliest bird songs in morning, continues throughout day and often at night, repeated monotonously, an antiphonal duet between sexes, male gives ascending “chip chip cheroo” (occasionally “chip cheroo”), first 2 two notes soft, next 2 very loud (audible to at least 400 m), female adds loud “chirru”.

Season Jul–Mar, most eggs Aug–Dec, possibly regulated by rainfall; one or more broods per season. Nest an open cup of small sticks, sometimes grass, rootlets and dry stems, lined with grass and rootlets, external diameter 12·7–13·3 cm, height 6·4–7·6 cm, internal diameter 6·4–7 cm, depth 3·8–5·1 cm; placed 0·45–4·6 m (mean 1·5 m) above ground in fork in dense shrub or small tree in dense vegetation, or in clump of mistletoe (Loranthaceae). Clutch 2 or 3 eggs, light blue or greenish-blue with small black and dark purple spots, blotches and streaks, average 24·8 × 17·7 mm; incubation by both sexes, period 14–17 days; both also feed nestlings, no information on duration of nestling period.

Not globally threatened. Locally common; rather scattered throughout range.