WESTERN GRASSWREN

Photographed at Monkey Mia, Western Australia April 2015

577             WESTERN GRASSWREN              Amytornis textilis

Australia        (420)

15-20 cm. Found in sandy lowlands; depressions in gibber plains with dense low saltbush, bluebush, cotton bush, nitre bush; clumps of swamp changers on watercourses; flood debris; near Shark Bay (WA) sand plain vegetation with acacia shrubs 1-3 m tall over grasses, herbs. The nominate race is only found around coastal sand plains on cw. coast WA, NW Cape-Peron Pen., Shark Bay; subspecies modestus in lowlands of s. NT and Macdonell Ras., to Everard Ras.-Coober Pedy-Williams Creek-w. side of Flinders Ras. (SA); possibly extinct e.SA/NSW. Race myall s. inland SA, Nullarbor Plain-GawlerRas.-Iron Knob.

Note: This was originally listed as the Thick-billed Grasswren but has been split and the population in Monkey Mia (WA) and ne Eyre Pen. (SA) are known as the Western Grasswren, though two different sub-species. The nominate race mentioned above remains known as the Thick-billed Grasswren.

Subspecies myall photographed at Whyalla Conservation Area, February 2016