Chestnut-rumped Heathwren

How to identify it

• Small bird, about 14 cm.
• Bright chestnut rump, whitish underparts with fine dark streaks.
• Often holds its tail cocked upright. Reddish eye.
• Skulks low in dense heath and shrub, more often heard than seen. Song is a varied warble with mimicry.

Where it lives

Needs a dense, continuous shrub and heath layer. Rebuilding that understorey is the core of the restoration work.

When to look

Calls through spring. Use the Merlin app's Sound ID to pick it up.

Do not confuse with other small brown birds: the chestnut rump and cocked tail, low in heath, are the tells.

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