Noisy Scrubbird

The Noisy Scrubbird, Atrichornis clamosus, presents a dark brown back, rust-coloured wings, and a speckled chestnut breast. Its bill ranges from grey-brown to pink, while its legs and feet can be brown or silver. These birds measure between 19 to 23 centimeters in length and weigh between 25 to 58 grams. Males are marked by a distinctive black triangle on their throat.

Identification Tips

To identify the Noisy Scrubbird, look for the male's black throat triangle. Their size is relatively small, and their colouring is predominantly dark with rust and chestnut hues. The bird's dense habitat can make visual identification challenging, so awareness of their distinctive calls is beneficial.

Habitat

The Noisy Scrubbird thrives in dense ground-cover wetlands within subtropical to temperate rainforests, typically at elevations greater than 600 meters. They require closed forests with a height of 5 to 15 meters and a preference for areas recovering from environmental disturbances such as fires or logging.

Distribution

Endemic to south-western Australia, particularly east of Albany, the Noisy Scrubbird's range is limited to approximately 45 square kilometers, including populations at Two Peoples Bay and Bald Island.

Behaviour

These birds are elusive and prefer extremely dense understory. They are known to colonize areas recovering from damage within as little as 2 years, but are not found in regions that haven't experienced disturbance in the past 50 years.

Breeding

Noisy Scrubbirds reach sexual maturity around 5 years of age. They lay one egg at a time, with a total clutch size of two. Nests are circular and built from sticks, leaves, and plant matter in low vegetation. Males do not contribute to nest-building but may defend the territory. Eggs are incubated for about 36 days, and chicks fledge 4 to 6 weeks post-hatching.

Diet and Feeding

Their diet consists mainly of small invertebrates, such as ants and beetles, which they forage for in the leaf litter of their dense habitats.

Conservation Status

The Noisy Scrubbird is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Despite conservation efforts, populations are declining due to threats like forest fires, predation by introduced species, habitat degradation, and disease. Conservation strategies include predation control, habitat monitoring, and careful management of forest fires to prevent further population decline.