Common and familiar bird. Favors denser vegetation with berries but found anywhere with trees or bushes. Although tends to stay hidden, it can be tame and approachable, particularly in gardens. A bird that is usually around head height, it is quite happy to hop on the floor often with tail cocked. Flight direct and low, usually to the nearest cover. Very vocal, call a mournful cat-like ‘meeh.’ Song a continuous ramble of different notes, often given from treetop. Distressed birds often give a rattle. ID: Smoothly rounded undercarriage and head. It can look pot-bellied but the overall impression is of a sleek bird with a fairly long tail. Uniquely gray with a black cap and tail. On close inspection has a rufous undertail. Birds fresh out of the nest appear bedraggled and have fluffy soft feathers.