Striated Fieldwren
Calamanthus fuliginosus
Small bird with heavy streaking and long cocked tail. Olive-brown overall with pale throat. Inhabits dense heath, grasslands, and salt marsh. Forages quietly on the ground or in thick vegetation, where difficult to see. Easiest to observe when males sing in spring, as they perch up in the vegetation. Tasmania and in coastal areas between Adelaide and Sydney.
Identification
The striated fieldwren is a small bird, 140mm in size. It is light brown and olive-colored, with a white stomach, and black streaks all over. Its tail is cocked and whitish with black and brown streaks.<p>The striated fieldwren's front is buff with dark gray and brown streaks; their wings are also brown and gray but with darker and bolder streaks. The bird's flight feathers, however, do not have streaks. Instead, they have fine light gray edges. A whitish line over the eye can also be found on the striated fieldwren.<p>Striated fieldwrens can be difficult to spot as they forage quietly in thick vegetation or on the ground. If approached, the bird's tail will elevate and sometimes move side to side, while continuing its song until it feels trapped, then it will fly away and relocate.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Calamanthus fuliginosus
- Authority
- (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Acanthizidae
- Genus
- Calamanthus
Range and habitat
Striated fieldwrens are more easily observed in the springtime even though they can camouflage themselves in the vegetation. The small olive-brown bird inhabits locations of dense heath, grassland, and salt marsh. Striated fieldwrens are commonly found in the coastal areas of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. The striated fieldwren is now known as a vulnerable species, as their habitats have been lost to land clearance and degradation. Due to habitat intervention, their presence is commonly recorded in national parks and reserves. They have been known to locally move in New South Wales. Striated fieldwrens can be found alone, in pairs, or in family groups in the low bushes and shrubs of these areas.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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