Striated Grasswren

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

Amytornis striatus

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

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.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species.
Formerly included Rusty Grasswren, Sandhill Grasswren and Pilbara Grasswren. Another 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

Habitat

Open mallee over shrubs, ground and sand dunes dominated by spinifex.

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.

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.

Diet

The diet includes seeds, insects and spiders.

Vocalisation

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

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Avibase
3. BirdLife International.
4. Field Guide to Australian Birds - Michael Morcombe
5. nsw.gov.au
6. Birdforum thread discussing taxonomy of Grasswrens

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Striated Grasswren. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Striated_Grasswren

External Links

Search for photos of Striated Grasswren in the gallery