Rufous Grasswren - BirdForum Opus

Photo by mjh73
Tom Price Caravan Park, Western Australia, September 2017

Includes Pilbara Grasswren and Sandhill Grasswren

Amytornis whitei

Identification

14-19cm

• Upperparts deep rufous-brown with white streaks
• Underparts deep 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

Western half of Australia.

Taxonomy

Formerly included in Striated Grasswren. Clements^[1] and IOC^[2] agree on lumping Pilbara Grasswren and Sandhill Grasswren into this species but disagree on how many subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized^[1].

• A. w. whitei

• Stony hillsides of Pilbara region of Western Australia

• A. w. oweni

• central western Australia, from Western Australia to southwestern Northern Territory and south central South Australia

Habitat

Spinifex on rocky hillsides.

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, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.1 DRAFT). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.1. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
3. Avibase
4. BirdLife International.
5. Field Guide to Australian Birds - Michael Morcombe
6. nsw.gov.au
7. Birdforum thread discussing taxonomy of Grasswrens

• List of references

Recommended Citation

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

External Links

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