Sandhill Grasswren
Amytornis oweni
Small, long-tailed bird with black mustache and rufous-brown upperparts, found in the deserts of eastern Western Australia and central Australia, where it scampers between large spinifex clumps in sand dune habitat. Usually seen only with a dedicated search. Upperparts rufous-brown, with white throat and pale underparts. Formerly considered conspecific with Pilbara Grasswren, and together treated as “Rufous Grasswren”; also formerly lumped with Striated Grasswren.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Amytornis oweni
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Maluridae
- Genus
- Amytornis
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Pink-eared Duck
Malacorhynchus membranaceus
A distinctive species with fine zebra-striped plumage and a long and shovel-shaped bill giving a fang-like appearance. Typically feeds by swimming in tight circles. Like many waterbirds in inland Australia, it moves around a lot, and can be found in very large numbers when conditions are right.
Musk Duck
Biziura lobata
Large and chunky stiff-tailed diving duck with a heavy triangular bill. Floats very low in the water. Both sexes are dark grayish, but male has an obvious lobe of skin dangling from its chin. Usually observed on the water, regularly diving while feeding. Bill is much shorter and heavier than Blue-billed Duck.
Chestnut Quail-thrush
Cinclosoma castanotum
Heavily patterned terrestrial bird of eastern South Australia, northwestern Victoria, and western New South Wales. White eyebrow and moustache, with a deep chestnut-brown back and intricately patterned wing. Female has white belly and gray chest, male white belly, gray flanks, and black chest and throat. Note gray sides rather than warm brown sides of Cinnamon and Chestnut-breasted quail-thrushes. Usually seen walking around in areas of open mallee woodland and shrubland. Call a long, high-pitched whistled "seeeep."
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