Gibberbird

The gibberbird has a distinctive visage which is characterized by a grey crown, yellow forehead, face and underbelly with a black to grey-brown rump. The bill is a dark brown to black with grey-brown feet. The iris of the eye is a distinguishing shade of bright yellow. Unlike other chats, the gibberbird only has slight sexual dimorphisms between the male and female. Females differ very slightly and can sometimes be distinguished by more brown plumage, especially around the throat, face and neck. They can also have a heavier breast band and a generally duller appearance in comparison to the males. Juveniles appear similar to adults, with a brown back, crown and wings, and a pale yellow throat. The gibberbird is monomorphic in terms of length and weight. Generic measurements have been found to range from 12.5 to 13 cm (4.9 to 5.1 in) in length and 14 to 20 g (0.49 to 0.71 oz) in weight.

The gibberbird is endemic to Australia and is known to inhabit the sparsely vegetated, stony regions of gibber desert. This habitat can include very open shrubland or grasslands. The extent of distribution for the gibberbird has been denoted as the southeastern Northern Territory, south-west Queensland to north-west New South Wales and across the northeastern region of South Australia. This species is more common on the sparsely vegetated, stony plains of the Lake Eyre basin and adjoining regions. It is primarily a sedentary species with no records of migration patterns; however, there have been some local movements outside of breeding season, presumably for resource attainment, especially in times of drought or flood. Gibberbirds are observed in sparsely vegetated stony deserts with a scattering of grasses such as Astrebla and Enneapogon. It is also found in low chenopod shrubland, which is mainly dominated by plant species such as Sclerolaena and Atriplex on higher ground. In the stony deserts of northern South Australia, gibberbirds can often be encountered in low, open shrubland or grassland of Atriplex vesicaria, Frankenia Serpyllifolia and Astrebla pectinata.

The gibberbird primarily feeds upon a range of invertebrates including spiders, caterpillars, moths, cicadas, grasshoppers, and other insects. Gibberbirds are indiscriminate, opportunistic foragers and have been known to feed on blowfly larvae dropped from fly-blown sheep. These are obtained by turning over clay clods with their bill to expose the sheltering maggots. Smaller larvae are consumed whole while larger larvae are bashed on the ground several times before swallowing. The majority of foraging occurs while walking on the ground but they will occasionally take to the air, up to 1 meter above ground level, while chasing flying insects. The gibberbird has also been observed running swiftly over short distances while chasing low-flying insects.