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Striated Fieldwren (Calamanthus fuliginosus) Alternate name(s): "Calamanthus*", "Striated Calamanthus", "Striated Reed-lark", "Mock Quail", "White-lored Fieldwren", "Fieldlark", "Stinkbird" Size: 12.5-14 cm Body mass: 15-25 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 Striated Fieldwrens are small bushland birds. Their plumage is highly cryptic. The cap is chestnut with dark-grey streaking, while the neck is more buff-grey with grey streaking. The front is buff, with fine dark greyish-brown streaks. Wings and mantle are brownish-grey, with bold dark streaks, while the flight feathers have no streaks, but very fine light-grey leading edges. The uppertail is also dark brownish-grey, with dark-grey central spots near the tip of each feather. The undertail coverts are buff. The only difference between the sexes is that males have white supercilia and throat patch, while those of females are pale-buff. Both sexes have brown irises, a stout grey bill and greyish-pink legs and feet. The rather short tail is usually held cocked. Juveniles have less colour contrast and finer streaking than adults.

Taxonomy, classification See Striated Fieldwren 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 Striated Fieldwren is available HERE . Striated Fieldwrens are endemic to Australia. The four races of Striated Fieldwrens are found only in the south-eastern part of the Australian continent, including Tasmania. Nominate race "fuliginosus" resides in the eastern third of Tasmania, while race "diemenensis" occupies the western half of the island, with a narrow gap between the two. On the Australian mainland, the range of race "albiloris" extends along a very narrow coastal strip southwards from ca. Royal National Park, near Sydney, NSW, into VIC and, with minor gaps, in a wider near-coastal swath, to Cape Otway, VIC. Along the near-coastal fringe from the longitude of Cape Otway, VIC, to about Kingston SE in south-eastern SA, race "bourneorum" is found. Striated Fieldwrens have a preference for low, dense heath, salt marshes, sedges and tussock grassland.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "fuliginosus" M. Eaton reports spotting Striated Fieldwrens, race "fuliginosus", at Peter Murrell Reserve, near Kingston, TAS, in April 2021 and again in September 2021. Race "albiloris" R. Plumtree reports finding a Striated Fieldwren, race "albiloris", at Holland Landings, East Gippsland Lakes, VIC, in April 2019.

Photos

Race "fuliginosus"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Striated Fieldwren; note the white supercilium and throat characterising this bird as a male
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Peter Murrell Reserve, near Kingston, TAS, April 2021]

Near-frontal view of a male Striated Fieldwren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Peter Murrell Reserve, near Kingston, TAS, April 2021]

Near-lateral view of a Striated Fieldwren issuing its call, with its tail cocked (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Peter Murrell Reserve, near Kingston, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral view of a male Striated Fieldwren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Peter Murrell Reserve, near Kingston, TAS, April 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Striated Fieldwren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Peter Murrell Reserve near Kingston, TAS, September 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Striated Fieldwren issuing its call (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Peter Murrell Reserve, near Kingston, TAS, September 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a male Striated Fieldwren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Peter Murrell Reserve, near Kingston, TAS, April 2021]

Dorsal view of a Striated Fieldwren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Peter Murrell Reserve, near Kingston, TAS, September 2021]

Race "albiloris"

ADULT

MALE

Near-frontal view of a male Striated Fieldwren; note the white supercilium and throat characterising this bird as a male
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Holland Landings, East Gippsland Lakes, VIC, April 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a male Striated Fieldwren looking back towards the observer; note the white supercilium and throat characterising this bird as a male (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Holland Landings, East Gippsland Lakes, VIC, April 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a male Striated Fieldwren (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Holland Landings, East Gippsland Lakes, VIC, April 2019]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

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.

stfwren_me_20210921.m4a	fuliginosus (E TAS)	Territorial calls?	© ME
stfwren_me_20210425.m4a	fuliginosus (E TAS)	?	© ME

More Striated Fieldwren 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.

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