Southern Scrub-Robin

About the Southern Scrub-Robin

The southern scrub robin (Drymodes brunneopygia) is a species of bird in the family Petroicidae. It is endemic to Australia, where it occurs in mallee and heathland in the semi-arid southern parts of the continent. Its range includes several disjoint regions from central New South Wales through western Victoria and southern South Australia, through to the southwestern area of Western Australia.

The southern scrub robin was formally described in 1841 by the English ornithologist John Gould under the current binomial name Drymodes brunneopygia. Gould noted that the bird was found near the Murray River in South Australia. The specific epithet combines the Modern Latin brunneus, meaning "brown", with the Ancient Greek -pugios, meaning "-rumped". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.

It is a relatively dull and large robin, adults being around 19–20 centimetres (7.5–7.9 in) in length, of which around a third is the tail feathers. Most of the plumage is grey, except for a dullish red tail and patterned black-and-white wings. The legs are unusually long for a passerine, and are frequently used to hop through the dense heathland that forms... Wikipedia →