Description
The bush stone-curlew has grey feathers with black and white streaks, tinted with varying shades of buff or brown. The bird’s plumage is a perfect camouflage against the bark, sticks and grass that are found throughout its habitat. To camouflage itself further, the curlew may lie flat on the ground with its long neck stretched out in front making it extremely hard to locate. It measures around 50cm from beak to tail and the sexes are identical.
Habitat
The bush stone-curlew inhabits the open bushland and lightly timbered areas of most of Australia except the arid interior. They are common birds but rarely seen because of their superb camouflage.
Diet
The bush stone-curlew is mostly a nocturnal bird hunting night active insects, lizards, frogs and even small mammals.
Reproduction
The bush stone-curlew lays two eggs usually in a scrape in the ground but sometimes it may be on flat ground with no depression. The chicks hatch after around a month and are able to walk and run within a few hours. If a nesting adult bush stone-curlew is threatened it will pick its eggs or chicks up under its wings and run off with them to protect them from predators.
