This bird occurs widely across mainland Australia in open country such as pastures, short crops, and grassy scrub. Males are larger than females and sing during display flights. The Australian Museum page uses the scientific name Cincloramphus cruralis.
In breeding plumage, the male is dark cinnamon-brown with a black bill and eyes. Both sexes have a dusky brown back and pale brownish-white underparts, with a darker brown centre to the belly. Males are much larger than females.
It is highly nomadic, moving from drought-affected areas toward places with recent rainfall. The museum account says it eats seeds and insects.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.