From Opus

Photo by Geoff Jones
Pink Lakes, Victoria, Australia, January 2009

Amytornis striatus

[edit] Identification

14-19cm

• Upperparts soft reddish-brown with white streaks
• Underparts buff with heavy white streaking on the breast
• Rufous eyebrow
• Black whisker-streak
• White throat.
• Blackish-brown tail
• Black bill
• Bluish-grey legs
  

Female has pale chestnut flanks
Immature individuals are slightly duller

[edit] Distribution

Endemic to Australia.
Widespread throughout Australia's Outback including central Western Australia, southern parts of the Northern Territory, SW Queensland, western New South Wales and much of South Australia. The range is not continuous.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies

There are 3 subspecies ^[1]:

• A. s. rowleyi:

• Forsyth Range (central Queensland)

• A. s. striatus:

• Sand plains of central Australia to north-western Victoria and central New South Wales

• A. s. whitei

• Stony hillsides of Pilbara region of Western Australia

An additional subspecies owensi is generally considered invalid^[2]

A former subspecies, A. s. merrotsyi located in the Flinders and Gawler Ranges in South Australia is now considered sufficiently distinctive to be given full species status, Short-tailed Grasswren, Amytornis merrotsyi

[edit] Habitat

• The nominate race can be found in open mallee over shrubs, ground and sand dunes dominated by spinifex.
• Race whitei and merrotsyi are found in spinifex on rocky ranges.

[edit] Behaviour

Skilled at hiding and keep growth between themselves and any observer, so the chance of finding is remote. Occasionally in spring breeding will be sighted while singing.

[edit] Breeding

The female builds a domed nest out of dry grasses and bark, lined with fur, soft vegetation or feathers. The 2-3 eggs are incubated for two weeks; the young leave the nest two weeks later.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes seeds, insects and spiders.

[edit] Vocalisation

High, scratchy trills, "chweep, chweep" for contact and "tsee, tsee". In alarm, "tzirr". Also musical notes "tsee-tsee, piew-piew"

[edit] References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Avibase
3. BirdLife International.
4. Field Guide to Australian Birds - Michael Morcombe
5. nsw.gov.au

• List of references

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on the ABID