Queue-de-gaze à calotte rousse Stipiturus ruficeps

Tiny buff-brown bird with enormously long, fine tail, found in arid parts of inland Australia. Crown a clean, rich brown, with streaked back, wings, and cheek; underparts buffy brown. Males have a sky-blue throat and upper breast. Tail is much longer and far more spindly than tail of fairywrens. The trick to finding this shy species is to find large unburned patches of spinifex, listening carefully for the species’ very thin, faint calls.