Fernwren
Oreoscopus gutturalis
Small scrubwren-like bird found in wet rainforests at higher elevations in the Atherton Tablelands of far northern Queensland. Adult entirely brown except for white throat, black bib, and faint pale supercilium. Juvenile almost completely dark brown, with a faint hint of pale throat and brow. Forages on the ground in deep leaf litter. Call a series of high-pitched, penetrating notes followed by a longer note.
Identification
The fernwren has a white eyebrow and throat, enclosing a dark brown face. Beneath the white throat, it has a black bib. It has a long-slender bill. The upperparts are dark olive-brown and the underparts paler. It is 12–14 cm (4.7–5.5 in) in length. The female is very similar to the male. Juveniles are dark brown without the white facial markings of the adult.
Taxonomy
The fernwren was first described by the English zoologist and ornithologist Charles Walter De Vis in 1889, and grouped with the scrubwrens as Sericornis gutturalis. It was later included in the genus Crateroscelis, along with three species of mouse-warblers found in New Guinea, but was subsequently moved to the monotypic genus Oreoscopus (established by North in 1905). The fernwren is a basal (subfamily) member of Acanthizidae and sister to the genus Pachycare.<p>The generic name Oreoscopus derives from the Ancient Greek oros meaning 'mountain' and scopos meaning 'guardian' or 'watcher'. The specific epithet gutturalis is Mediaeval Latin for 'of the throat', referring to the prominent white throat of this species. It was also known colloquially as the collared scrubwren.
- Scientific name
- Oreoscopus gutturalis
- Authority
- (De Vis, 1889)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Orthonychidae
- Genus
- Oreoscopus
Range and habitat
The fernwren is found in northeast Queensland rainforest between 300–1,500 m (980–4,920 ft) above sea-level, although more often above 650 m (2,130 ft). It is found in the Paluma Range, near Townsville, and from the Tully Gorge National Park northwards to Cape Tribulation. It is sedentary and classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The fernwren forages in the moist leaf-litter amongst the ferns and dense shrubbery, particularly in shady gullies of highland rainforests. As it searches through the accumulated debris of the forest floor, it frequently bows its head and flicks its short tail. It feeds on arthropods and small skinks (Scincidae). It has a variety of calls, including high-pitched squeaks and whistles, a softer chattering sequence, and a buzzing, scolding call.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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