Striated Grasswren

Identificazione

The striated grasswren is one of 13 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. The plumage is highly variable across its range, suited to local soil and rock colour; birds are slightly sexually dimorphic; females have a brighter rufous flank-patch. All populations are soft red-brown above, streaked white; an orange-buff eyebrow and fore-supercilium; white throat; bold black submostachial stripe; and buffish underbody.Like other grasswrens they have short rounded wings and are unable to undertake long flights, typically flitting or hopping from perch to perch within vegetation, and run or hop when on the ground in a series of fast jerky movements. While closely related to the familiar fairy-wrens (Malurinae) striated grasswrens are larger (17-20g c.f. 6-16g), and more sombrely coloured, with varyingly prominent white streaking on varying shades of brown, rufous and black plumage.Striated grasswrens are usually seen as pairs, but sometimes as individuals, and often in small groups of up to five birds, which are unobtrusive, shy, and typically difficult to approach, often first detected by their calls. When breeding, birds may be inquisitive of intruders of their territory.

Tassonomia

The striated grasswren (Amytornis striatus) is a Passeriform in the Maluridae Family, which is shared with the familiar Australian and New Guinean fairy-wrens. It is one of 13 species of grasswren currently recognised in the subfamily Amytornithae, all within the Genus Amytornis, and confined to mainland Australia. The species was first described by John Gould in 1840 from a specimen collected on the Liverpool Plains of NSW.The scientific name of this species translates the genus Amytornis from Greek ‘Amytis bird’ Amytis being an ancient Persian female name with no direct link to the species, while ornis translates to ‘bird’ directly from Greek. The specific name refers to the heavily streaked upperparts, from Modern Latin striatus striped, streaked, which is in turn from Latin stria, a line.

Nome scientifico

Amytornis striatus

Autorità

(Gould, 1840)

Ordine

Passeriformi

Famiglia

Maluridae

Genere

Amytornis

Areale e habitat

Migrazione

Specie stanziale

Comportamento

Comportamento migratorio: Specie stanziale.

Conservazione

Tendenza della popolazione: in diminuzione.

Tendenza della popolazione

in diminuzione