A medium- sized, rather drab grassbird with long and graduated tail, rectrices narrowing to blunt tip but not becoming unduly frayed. Nominate race has short, indistinct off- whitish supercilium contrasting little with relatively plain face; forehead, crown and nape rufous (faintly streaked), contrasting with “saddle“ of bold black streaking on mantle, back and scapulars; rump and uppertail- coverts rufous brown, wings also rufous, tertials with wide blackish centres; tail warm brown, shading darker towards feather shafts; lores and ear- coverts plain sandy brown, shading to off- white on throat and breast; flanks and undertail- coverts unstreaked greyish- buff; iris yellowish- brown; bill pinkish- brown, paler on lower mandible, darkest on culmen; legs fleshy- pink to fleshy- brown. Distinguished from M. macrurus by smaller size, relatively shorter tail (tail/ wing ratio 1,15- 1,38, as opposed to 1,4- 1,52 of latter) with slightly blunter and stiffer feather tips (not becoming frayed), also relatively smaller bill; from M. gramineus by larger size, brighter plumage, lack of streaking below, paler legs. Sexes similar, male larger than female; presence of dark crown spotting may a sexual difference, rather than an age- related one. Juvenile is similar to adult in fresh plumage, but iris dark brown (not yellowish- brown). Race alisteri is similar to nominate but less bright rufous on crown and rump, and has fine blackish streaks on uppertail- coverts; amboinensis is similar to previous but smaller (wing 58- 61 mm, compared with 62- 68 mm), with crown and rump unstreaked but with dark shaft streaks on uppertail- coverts; inquirendus is richly coloured, like nominate, but has well- defined spotting on breast and crown; celebensis is heavily streaked on crown and rump; muscalis has boldly streaked crown but relatively plain rump; tweeddalei is both richly coloured and the largest (wing 76 mm); mindorensis is darker above than previous; alopex is even more richly coloured than tweeddalei, with rather indistinct supercilium; crex darker and somewhat greyer than previous; mindorensis, alopex and crex are all somewhat intermediate in size (wing 70 mm).
Not Threatened
A medium- sized, rather drab grassbird with long and graduated tail, rectrices narrowing to blunt tip but not becoming unduly frayed. Nominate race has short, indistinct off- whitish supercilium contrasting little with relatively plain face; forehead, crown and nape rufous (faintly streaked), contrasting with “saddle“ of bold black streaking on mantle, back and scapulars; rump and uppertail- coverts rufous brown, wings also rufous, tertials with wide blackish centres; tail warm brown, shading darker towards feather shafts; lores and ear- coverts plain sandy brown, shading to off- white on throat and breast; flanks and undertail- coverts unstreaked greyish- buff; iris yellowish- brown; bill pinkish- brown, paler on lower mandible, darkest on culmen; legs fleshy- pink to fleshy- brown. Distinguished from M. macrurus by smaller size, relatively shorter tail (tail/ wing ratio 1,15- 1,38, as opposed to 1,4- 1,52 of latter) with slightly blunter and stiffer feather tips (not becoming frayed), also relatively smaller bill; from M. gramineus by larger size, brighter plumage, lack of streaking below, paler legs. Sexes similar, male larger than female; presence of dark crown spotting may a sexual difference, rather than an age- related one. Juvenile is similar to adult in fresh plumage, but iris dark brown (not yellowish- brown). Race alisteri is similar to nominate but less bright rufous on crown and rump, and has fine blackish streaks on uppertail- coverts; amboinensis is similar to previous but smaller (wing 58- 61 mm, compared with 62- 68 mm), with crown and rump unstreaked but with dark shaft streaks on uppertail- coverts; inquirendus is richly coloured, like nominate, but has well- defined spotting on breast and crown; celebensis is heavily streaked on crown and rump; muscalis has boldly streaked crown but relatively plain rump; tweeddalei is both richly coloured and the largest (wing 76 mm); mindorensis is darker above than previous; alopex is even more richly coloured than tweeddalei, with rather indistinct supercilium; crex darker and somewhat greyer than previous; mindorensis, alopex and crex are all somewhat intermediate in size (wing 70 mm).
18- 21 cm; c. 35- 40 g
Taxonomy: Megalurus timoriensis Wallace, 1864, Timor, Lesser Sundas. Forms a superspecies with M. macrurus; traditionally treated as conspecific, but no apparent mixed pairings where the two meet in SC New Guinea. Philippine races relatively larger in size and with longer tail, possibly form a third species, arguably with closer affinity to M. macrurus than to present species. Taxonomic status of a number of island taxa, however, is poorly known, as several of them described from few or poor specimens, and situation further complicated by existence of two rather different-looking specimens from Timor; present arrangement therefore tentative, and additional research required. Birds from E Australia (SE Queensland, E New South Wales) described as race oweni, but considered synonymous with alisteri. Ten subspecies currently recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * tweeddalei McGregor, 1908 - N & C Philippines (Luzon, Samar, Negros, Panay and adjacent small islands). * mindorensis Salomonsen, 1953 - NW Philippines (Mindoro). * alopex Parkes, 1970 - C Philippines (Cebu, Leyte, Bohol). * crex Salomonsen, 1953 - S Philippines (Mindanao, Basilan). * celebensis Riley, 1919 - Sulawesi. * amboinensis (Salvadori, 1876) - Ambon, in S Moluccas. * inquirendus Siebers, 1928 - Sumba, in Lesser Sundas. * timoriensis Wallace, 1864 - Timor.* muscalis Rand, 1938 - S New Guinea (R Fly area). * alisteri Mathews, 1912 - N & E Australia, from NE Western Australia (Kimberleys) and N Northern Territory E to N & E Queensland, thence S in E New South Wales to Sydney.
Reedbeds and grasslands, especially rank grassland with scattered shrubs; particularly in riverine floodplains. Inhabits extensive wet sedge plains on Timor. In Australia, also in wet coastal heathland, grassy dunes, and locally aven in crops such as maize or sugar cane; sometimes at fringes of large bushy gardens. Chiefly in lowlandsm but ascends grassy slopes to 2000 m in Philippines.
Arthropods and other invertebrates; some seeds also eaten. Feeds almost entirely on small insects, chiefly larvae of moths (Lepidoptera) and flies (Diptera); several species of bug (Hemiptera), crickets (Orthoptera), mantids (Mantodea) and small beetles (Coleoptera) also recorded. Nestlings fed particularly on soft- bodied lepidoptera larvae and larval instars of orthopterans. Solitary or in pairs. Forages on or close to ground, nimbly slipping through dense grass and picking insects from both ground and stems; hops and sometimes even runs between grass clumps. Despite shy reputation, can be very inquisitive, climbing taller stems to view intruders, tail- switching, often calling agitatedly from post or wire; if flushed, generally flies low for just a few metres before dropping back into cover.
Season chiefly between Aug and Apr (at onset of local rains) in Australia; breeding reported Feb- Aug in Philippines; single- brooded. Low fluttering song flight, with tail held down, in Australia; aerial song also in Lesser Sundas. Nest a deep cup partially domed, with narrow entrance at top, constructed of soft grasses, lined with finer grasses and rootlets; situated on or close to ground in grass clump or similar low dense vegetation. Clutch 3 eggs, sometimes 2; no information on incubation and fledging periods.