Western Bristlebird

About

A secretive, near-flightless songbird confined to a handful of coastal heath sites in south-west WA, with Fitzgerald River National Park hosting one of its most closely studied populations. Researchers have tracked how individual birds' home ranges respond to and recover from bushfire here.

How to spot it

Grey-brown, scalloped plumage, a rufous tail shorter than other bristlebirds, and a red eye. Skulks low in dense shrubland and is far easier to hear (a sharp, ringing call) than to spot.

Found in

• Fitzgerald River National Park