These are native to Australia and can be found near rivers and coastal areas along the northern and eastern coastlines from the Kimberley region in the northwest of Western Australia to the Hunter River in New South Wales. The preferred habitat is heathland, open woodland and among foreshore dunes particularly where low shrubs and tall grasses provide cover. They are fairly common here but you will need to go looking for them, try beach access paths along the Sandy Point Road.
They are predominantly insectivorous eating a wide variety of insects, including beetles such as weevils, bugs, grasshoppers, moths, wasps and cicadas, seeds and other plant material make up a small proportion of their diet.
During the mating season, the male moults its brown feathers and displays the striking plumage seen in the upper photo, females and young birds have the inconspicuous plumage in the lower photo. The mating season lasts from August to February, and coincides with the arrival of the rainy season in northern Australia, a spherical nest is constructed of dried grasses and usually lined with smaller, finer grasses and hair and concealed in grass tussocks or low shrubs.