Rufous Fieldwren

The rufous fieldwren is a small terrestrial bird, measuring 11.5–13.5 cm (4.5–5.3 in) long, 15.5–19.5 cm (6.1–7.6 in) wingspan, 11–16 g (0.38–0.56 oz) weight. The eight subspecies are divisible into five groups by their physical traits, characterised by the prominent colour of their mantle, back, scapulars, underbody and degree of striation throughout their plumage.

Subspecies C.c. campestris and C.c. rubiginosus is predominantly grey backed with a slight rufous wash, a cream toned underbody with dark striations. Subspecies C.c. winiam features a grey back, thick streaking on the underside. Subspecies C.c. Isabellinus and C.c. wayenis rich rufous-brown upper parts, wish washed cinnamon underparts, has very fine, if not obsolete streaking. Island Subspecies C.c. Dorrie and C.c. Hartogi have pale-grey upper parts, white underneath with moderate striations. C.c montanellus is the darkest form, resembling closely to the striated fieldwren Olive grey above with a pale yellow underside. Females of all subspecies are descriptively similar, only differing through a slightly duller supercilium. Sexual dimorphism is most prominent in subspecies C. …

Due to the widespread but disjunct range of the rufous fieldwren sub-populations, there is a diverse variety of habitat that the rufous fieldwren occupies. Populations to the west prefer dry and open woodlands and coastal heaths, mainly in the temperate and sub-tropical zone of Western Australia. On the north-west Nullarbor Plain, rufous fieldwren populations occur throughout pearl bluebush shrubland, clumps of ray flower and usually throughout a diverse variety of shrubs such as mallee paperbark, mallee honey myrtle and dwarf sheoaks. Subspecies occurring through the arid and semi-arid regions of central Australia mainly occupy chenopod shrublands and heathlands gravitating towards vegetation stands of Atriplex and Sclerolaena saltbush, Maireana bluebush and Sarcocornia samphire shrublands and heathlands. Eastern populations occur throughout gibber plains, saline or brackish wetlands with a preference for rocky areas sparsely vegetated with spinifex groundcover and eucalypts. Rufous fieldwren are occasionally observed in the Little Desert, Victoria, amongst stunted mallee eucalypts and spinifex grasslands.

Little is known of the rufous fieldwren's diet and feeding behaviours outside of casual observations. They are predominate insectivores feeding largely on beetles, wasps and small grasshoppers. They will occasionally also eat small spiders, snails and seeds from Setaria viridis and Erodium cygnorum.