(Eldridge and Coulson 2015, except as noted)
Occupy a variety of habitats
- Found in natural areas that experience rainfall or habitats near permanent water sources:
- Woodland
- Heathland
- Shrubland
- Forest
- Mallee scrub
- Also occur in human modified habitats
- Pastures
- Avoids areas grazed by sheep
- Croplands and plantations
- Golf courses
Habitat preferences
- Prefer areas with enough cover to provide shelter from weather and predators, and open, grassy areas where they can find food
- Highest densities in landscapes with many habitat types (also Pople et al. 2007); rare in homogeneous croplands and mallee scrub
- Sexual segregation (females and males stay apart) sometimes observed, but not always
- Garnick et al. (2016) note no differences in habitat preference between males and females during the breeding season
- Coulson et al. (2006) found pronounced sexual segregation, with males and females using different habitats and separating into male-female groups within a habitat
- Males used grassland habitat, whereas females used lakebed, woodland, and shrubland habitat
- MacFarlane and Coulson (2005) also found evidence of segregation by sex among habitats during the non-breeding season