Rockwarbler

Origma solitaria

Photo by joe cockram
Locality: Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia

Identification

Also known as Rock Warbler.

Dark brown-grey, cinnamon-tinged face and forehead, dull white throat speckled black, reddish-brown underparts, and a black tail, which is often flicked sideways, dark grey-brown wings. Young birds are similar to adults but duller.

Distribution

Sydney, Australia.

Habitat

Rocky outcrops, in steep rocky gullies and usually near water, including along sea-cliffs in coastal areas.

Behaviour

Its diet includes mainly insects and sometimes seeds. It forages on the ground and in low branches, probing for insects in rock crevices, in caves and under ledges.

The nest site is usually in a sandstone (occasionally limestone or granite) cave, in total or near-darkness and is re-used each year. It builds a suspended dome-shaped nest from roots, moss, grass and bark bound together with spider webs, with a round side entrance that is sometimes hooded. The inner nest chamber is lined with soft materials, including feathers, fur, grasses and plant down. Both parents feed the young, which stay with their parents for some time after fledging. Sometimes parasitised by Fan-tailed Cuckoo.

External Links

Search for photos of Rockwarbler in the gallery

• View more images of this species on the ABID