# Bush Stone-curlew (*Burhinus grallarius*) The Bush Stone-curlew is a funny-looking bird with long legs and big eyes. It likes to stay hidden during the day and comes out at night to look for food like insects and small animals. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Bush Stone-curlew](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Burhinus_grallarius_-_Daintree_Villiage.jpg&width=800) Photo: JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ), CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Burhinus_grallarius_-_Daintree_Villiage.jpg) ## Appearance The Bush Stone-curlew has a mottled grey-brown body that blends perfectly with dry leaves and ground cover. It features large, piercing yellow eyes, long greenish-grey legs with thick 'knees', and a relatively thick, short bill. Its distinctive markings include streaked underparts and a pale eyebrow. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Burhinidae - **Genus:** Burhinus ## Interesting facts - Bush Stone-curlew chicks are precocial, able to run and forage soon after hatching! - Their haunting, wailing calls are often heard echoing through the night in Australia! - These birds often stand on one leg for long periods, appearing like feathered statues! - They sometimes perform unique "dance" displays, especially during courtship rituals! ## Special abilities - **Master of Stillness:** Bush Stone-curlews can freeze perfectly still for hours, relying on their camouflage to become almost invisible. - **Night Hunter Eyes:** Bush Stone-curlews have huge yellow eyes that help them hunt small prey expertly under the cover of darkness. - **Broken Wing Bluff:** Bush Stone-curlews can fake a broken wing to distract predators away from their vulnerable eggs or chicks. - **Eerie Vocalizations:** Bush Stone-curlews can make loud, wailing calls to communicate with each other or warn of danger. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 54-60 cm - **Wingspan:** 80-100 cm - **Weight:** 0.6-1.1 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-15 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-2 - **Incubation:** 28-32 days ## Diet & Feeding They are nocturnal hunters, feasting on insects, small reptiles, and even tiny mammals they find! - **Primary Foods:** beetles, grasshoppers, spiders, lizards, mice, frogs - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Introduced predator that hunts adults and chicks. - **Eaten by:** Dingo (*Canis dingo*) — Native predator, often preys on eggs, chicks, and adults. - **Hunts:** [Black Rat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-rat) (*Rattus rattus*) — Bush Stone-curlews hunt and eat these small rodents. - **Eaten by:** [Domestic Cat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/domestic-cat) (*Felis catus*) — Feral cats are significant predators of eggs and chicks. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low If you see a Bush Stone-curlew, watch quietly from a distance so you don’t scare it. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Bush Stone-curlew? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Bush Stone-curlew? 54-60 cm ### What is Bush Stone-curlew's wingspan? 80-100 cm ### How much does Bush Stone-curlew weigh? 0.6-1.1 kg ### How long does Bush Stone-curlew live? 10-15 years ### How fast can Bush Stone-curlew move? 60 km/h ### What does Bush Stone-curlew eat? They are nocturnal hunters, feasting on insects, small reptiles, and even tiny mammals they find! ### Where is Bush Stone-curlew usually found? Grasslands ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Bush Stone-curlew: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bush-stone-curlew)