Opalton Grasswren
Amytornis rowleyi· 细尾鹩莺科(3 photos)
Photographed In:
Locations:
Opalton Grasswren
Four species recently separated:
Amytornis striatus
Amytornis rowleyi
Amytornis whitei
Amytornis oweni
14.5-19.5 cm. Soft red-brown above, streaked white; eyebrow orange-buff; throat white, strong black whisker-mark; female flanks pale chestnut. Immature: duller. Birds in inland and w. (race whitei) brighter; those in se. (race striatus) washed grey-brown. Pairs, family parties: elusive; forages in spinifex; small shrubs, low mallee; hops/runs; tail cocked; flies feebly.
Locally common; patchy. Sedentary.
- Similar Species
- Short-tailed, Thick-billed, Eyrean Grasswrens.
- Voice
- sweet, rippling melody, with 'tu-tu-tu' notes. Contact-call: thin, very high-pitched 'see'; twittering scolding.
- Habitat
- spinifex, with mallee, acacias; other inland scrubs; coastal scrubs in WA.
- Breeding
- Aug.-Nov., se. Aust.; Feb.-April, nw./inland.
- Nest
- domed, of spinifex spines in spinifex clump; lined with bark strips, plant down.
- Eggs
- 2 (3); oval, white; finely spotted, streaked red-brown.
- Range & Status
- Striated Grasswren A. striatus: c NSW; ssp howei se SA, nw VIC and sw NSW (se Australia). Opalton Grasswren A. rowleyi: c. and sw. Q. Pilbara Grasswren A. whitei: Pilbara Ranges, w WA; ssp parvus Cape Range, reaching coast at Eighty Mile Beach-n. Shark Bay, far w WA. Sandhill Grasswren A. oweni: c WA to c QLD and nw SA (wc Australia); ssp aenigma w Eyre Pen., s SA (sc Australia)
- Distribution key to races
- Amytornis rowleyi
