Plains-wanderer
Pedionomus torquatus
The Plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus) is a rare plains-wanderer found only in Australia, weighing about 63 g. The plains-wanderer is an atypical species of wading bird, the only representative of family Pedionomidae and genus Pedionomus.
About the Plains-wanderer
The plains-wanderer is an atypical species of wading bird, the only representative of family Pedionomidae and genus Pedionomus. It is endemic to Australia. Its historic range included much of eastern Australia, including Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory, but in recent years, it has become endangered with remaining known populations concentrated in the Riverina region of New South Wales and western Queensland.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The plains-wanderer is a quail-like ground bird, measuring 15–19 cm. It is such an atypical bird that it is placed in an entire family of its own, Pedionomidae. The adult male is light brown above, with fawn-white underparts with black crescents. The adult female is substantially larger than the male, and has a distinctive, white-spotted black collar. They have excellent camouflage and will first hide at any disturbance. If approached too closely, they will run rather than fly, at which they are very poor. Females lay four eggs, which the male then incubates.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Plains-wanderer can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Plains-wanderer?
- The plains-wanderer is a quail-like ground bird, measuring 15–19 cm. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Plains-wanderer?
- The Plains-wanderer is a medium sized bird weighing about 63 g.
- Where can you see a Plains-wanderer?
- The Plains-wanderer is endemic to Australia, which is the only country where it occurs.
- Is the Plains-wanderer endangered?
- The Plains-wanderer is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Plains-wanderer for real
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