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Australian bird habitats:
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Description of habitat |
This page describes scrubland, brush or shrubland, which are often used synomymously. Scrubland is an area with low, often sparse and/or stunted vegetation. This sparsity can either be permanent, e.g. in semi-arid environments, or temporary, e.g. after the passage of a hot bushfire through forest or woodland.
Tall scrub is defined to have a top layer of 2-4 m high. Tall scrubland is often dominated by mulga trees (acacia aneura) or various types of wattles or casuarina. When the crowns overlap each other, it is called "closed" scrub, if there are gaps between plants, it is called "open" scrub.
Shrubs are defined to be less than 2 metres tall. Low shrubland is often dominated by Atriplex (saltbush) or Maireana (bluebush). "Open" shrubland is defined as sparsely vegetated shrubland, where plants are well apart from one another.
Scrub and/or shrubs can also be found at high altitude in alpine envrionments.
One particular kind of scrubland, "heath", which is usually found on poor and/or acidic soil, is presented separately.
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Photos |
Below we display examples of various types of scrub and shrubland, with bird species regularly found in them.
Closed scrub
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Bird species found in this type of habitat or plant |
This is not necessarily a complete list. We display here some examples of bird species found by us in this kind of habitat or plant. Hover your cursor on thumbnails to see names of species; click on thumbnail to go to the page describing the species.
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After the passage of a bushfire, in the absence of a high
forest
canopy this area is dominated by wattles, casuarinas and several
types of bushes and grass; this photo was taken in northern
inland NSW, on the northern edge of the "Pilliga scrub"
Closed scrub in which we have found
Spotted Nightars
[Pilliga scrub,
NSW, November 2018]
Open scrub
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Bird species found in this type of habitat or plant |
This is not necessarily a complete list. We display here some examples of bird species found by us in this kind of habitat or plant. Hover your cursor on thumbnails to see names of species; click on thumbnail to go to the page describing the species.
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Large parts of Gundabooka
NP near Bourke, NSW, are dominated by Mulga scrub
Open scrub in a semi-arid (at the time almost arid) environment
in the southern Gammon Ranges, SA
Open scrub in a semi-arid environment around a gorge in Kalbarri National Park, WA
Example of a bird in scrub: female Superb Fairy-wren in a briarbush
(photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
Low shrubland
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Bird species found in this type of habitat or plant |
This is not necessarily a complete list. We display here some examples of bird species found by us in this kind of habitat or plant. Hover your cursor on thumbnails to see names of species; click on thumbnail to go to the page describing the species.
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Example of a low shrub attacting nectar-eating birds: Urn Heath
(Melichrus urceolatus); note, however, that these shrubs
are found as undergrowth in eucalypt woodland
[Deriah Forest, NSW, July 2013]
Close-up view of the flowers of Urn Heath (Melichrus urceolatus)
[Deriah Forest, NSW, July 2013]
Silvereye feeding
on the blossoms of Urn Heath (Melichrus urceolatus)
[Terry Hie Hie, NSW, June 2013]
Low open shrubland
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Bird species found in this type of habitat or plant |
This is not necessarily a complete list. We display here some examples of bird species found by us in this kind of habitat or plant. Hover your cursor on thumbnails to see names of species; click on thumbnail to go to the page describing the species.
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Low open shrubland in outback NSW in the middle of the 10-year
drought from 2000 to 2010
Closed coastal shrubland right behind
beach, ontop of a
dune
Coastal shrubland visible in the foreground, against the backdrop of
Wybung Head
(Munmorah SCA, NSW)
Near-dorsal view of an
Emu in low shrubland
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Near the Flinders Ranges, SA, August 2016]
