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Rock Warbler (Origma solitaria) Alternate name(s): "Origma", "Cataract-bird", "Cavebird", "Rock Robin", "Rock Swallow", "Sandstone Robin", "Hanging Dick" Size: 12-14 cm Body mass: 14-16 g

Australia: Family Group 17 Family Group 17 Table Spotted Pardalote Forty-spotted Pardalote Red-browed Pardalote Striated Pardalote Large-billed Scrubwren Atherton Scrubwren White-browed Scrubwren Spotted Scrubwren Tasmanian Scrubwren Yellow-throated Scrubwren Pilotbird Rock Warbler Chestnut-rumped Heathwren Shy Heathwren Striated Fieldwren Rufous Fieldwren Fernwren Scrubtit Speckled Warbler Redthroat Western Gerygone Brown Gerygone Mangrove Gerygone Dusky Gerygone Large-billed Gerygone Green-backed Gerygone Fairy Gerygone White-throated Gerygone Weebill Yellow Thornbill Striated Thornbill Buff-rumped Thornbill Yellow-rumped Thornbill Western Thornbill Slender-billed Thornbill Chestnut-rumped Thornbill Brown Thornbill Inland Thornbill Slaty-backed Thornbill Tasmanian Thornbill Mountain Thornbill Southern Whiteface Chestnut-breasted Whiteface Banded Whiteface Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Rock Warblers are small birds found in bushland on Hawkesbury sandstone. Their plumage is very inconspicuous. They have a dark-grey to brownish grey back (from the cap to the rump), with brownish-grey flight feathers, a dark-grey tail, a small light-grey throat patch and an otherwise cinnamon- to rufous-brown front (chest, belly, vent). The irises are dark-orange. The thin and straight bill is dark-grey; legs and feet are also dark-grey.

Taxonomy, classification See Rock Warbler at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Rock Warbler is available HERE . Rock Warblers are endemic to south-eastern Australia. As "Hawkesbury Sandstone" specialists, they have a limited range, from Goulburn River NP and Wollemi NP on the southern side of the Hunter River catchment southward towards Sydney and farther South along the NSW coastline, to about Deua NP. Inland their range ends along a longitude just to the East of Canberra, ACT. Rock Warblers live in rocky gullies and around sandstone caves and limestone dominated by sclerophyll woodland and coastal forest.

Sightings Click here for sighting information B. Hensen reports spotting a Rock Warbler at St. Albans, NSW, in November 2012 and again in February 2013. Rock Warblers were first observed by us at Wottamolla, Royal NP, NSW, in June 2015. B. Hensen's help with these observations is gratefully acknowledged. Two Rock Warblers were spotted on Hawkesbury Sandstone at Ferntree Gully Environmental Reserve, near Rylstone, NSW, in December 2016. This location is situated on the north-western edge of the species' range. Together with V. Collins, we spotted two Rock Warblers at The Drip, near the spring of the Goulburn River, in Goulburn River NP, NSW, in June 2021. In June 2022, together with M. Eaton, and in August 2022, with P. Brown, we found two Rock Warblers again at the same location, which is situated on the north-western edge of the species' range.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Full-frontal view of a Rock Warbler (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Goulburn River NP, NSW, June 2021]

Near-frontal view of a Rock Warbler (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Goulburn River NP, NSW, June 2021]

Near-frontal view of a Rock Warbler
[Wottamolla, Royal NP, NSW, June 2015]

Near-lateral view of a Rock Warbler
[Wottamolla, Royal NP, NSW, June 2015]

Lateral view of a Rock Warbler on Hawkesbury sandstone, the type of rock dominating the soils to which this species' range is restricted (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, November 2012]

Lateral view of a Rock Warbler (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, February 2013]

Lateral view of a Rock Warbler on a riverine rock platform
[Wottamolla, Royal NP, NSW, June 2015]

Lateral view of a Rock Warbler looking for prey (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Goulburn River NP, NSW, June 2022]

Lateral/ventral view of a Rock Warbler (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Goulburn River NP, NSW, June 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Rock Warbler
[Wottamolla, Royal NP, NSW, June 2015]

Near-dorsal view of a Rock Warbler (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Goulburn River NP, NSW, June 2021]

Dorsal view of a Rock Warbler (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Goulburn River NP, NSW, June 2021]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary

Rock Warblers live exclusively on Hawkesbury sandstone. They spend much of their time hidden in dense shrubs, but will also often venture out on to open rock platforms, e.g. around rock pools or cliffs.

Dorsal view of a Rock Warbler in its typical habitat, on a Hawkesbury sandstone cliff
[Wottamolla, Royal NP, NSW, June 2015]

Rock pools of Wottamolla Creek - the habitat in which a pair of Rock Warblers was found by us near dusk
[Wottamolla, Royal NP, NSW, June 2015]

Lateral view of a Rock Warbler using its tail as a prop (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Goulburn River NP, NSW, June 2022]

Lateral view of a Rock Warbler traveling at speed
[Goulburn River NP, NSW, June 2022]

Dorsal view of a Rock Warbler using its tail as a prop
[Goulburn River NP, NSW, August 2022]

Food, Diet

Rock Warblers find much of their food on rock surfaces covered with lichen or other low plants.

Near-lateral view of a Rock Warbler with its prey, a small caterpillar (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Goulburn River NP, NSW, June 2022]

Rock Warbler foraging between low plants
[Goulburn River NP, NSW, August 2022]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

rockwrb_20210626.m4a	(Ctl W NSW)	Contact calls?	© MD
rockwrb_20210626_2.m4a	(Ctl W NSW)	Contact calls?	© MD
rockwrb_20220807_2.m4a	(Ctl W NSW)	Contact calls?	© MD
rockwrb_20210626_3.m4a	(Ctl W NSW)	?	© MD
rockwrb_20220807_4.m4a	(Ctl W NSW)	?	© MD
rockwrb_20220807.m4a	(Ctl W NSW)	?	© MD
rockwrb_20220630.m4a	(Ctl W NSW)	?	© MD
rockwrb_20220630_2.m4a	(Ctl W NSW)	? (+ Spotted Pardalote)	© MD
rockwrb_20150611.m4a	(E NSW)	?	© MD

More Rock Warbler sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.