Striated Grasswren
Amytornis striatus
The Striated Grasswren (Amytornis striatus) is a rare grasswrens, fairywrens, and emu-wren found only in Australia, weighing about 20 g. The striated grasswren is a small, cryptically coloured ground-dwelling species of wren-like bird in the family Maluridae, endemic to Australia.
About the Striated Grasswren
The striated grasswren is a small, cryptically coloured ground-dwelling species of wren-like bird in the family Maluridae, endemic to Australia. It occupies a large discontinuous range across arid and semi-arid areas of western, central and southern Australia where it is associated with spinifex (Triodia) grass.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The striated grasswren is one of 14 species in the genus Amytornis, commonly known as the grasswrens, found only in arid and semi-arid areas of Australia. All are small cryptic birds with long, usually cocked-tails, characterised by diagnostic distinctive interscapular gap in the feathering, an enlarged auditory bulla (tympanic chambers) and ten rectrices. The striated grasswren is a slim, long-tailed grasswren with a slender pointed bill. Voice: Striated grasswrens are recognised as having three calls: a contact call, song and an alarm call. The contact call has been described as a regularly uttered high pitched seep, see-see or tseee-tseet, which is very soft and may be inaudible in moderate winds. The song is diagnostic and much louder than contact calls, and may be audible for up to 40 m.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: March, April, May, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in October. It is a passage migrant species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Striated Grasswren?
- The striated grasswren is one of 14 species in the genus Amytornis, commonly known as the grasswrens, found only in arid and semi-arid areas of Australia. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Striated Grasswren?
- The Striated Grasswren is a small sized bird weighing about 20 g.
- Where can you see a Striated Grasswren?
- The Striated Grasswren is endemic to Australia, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Striated Grasswren?
- The Striated Grasswren is most easily confused with the Western Grasswren, the Dusky Grasswren and the Eyrean Grasswren.
Learn the Striated Grasswren for real
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