Kalkadoon Grasswren (Amytornis ballarae)

Other Names (World)
Kalkadoon Grasswren, Grey-bellied Grasswren, Gray-bellied Grasswren, Western Grasswren

Family
Maluridae (Fairy-wrens)

Size
15 - 18 cm

First Described (Guide)
Condon, 1969

Derivation
A-my-torn'-is - Gk, amytis, daughter of Astyages; Gk, ornis, a bird: ballarae - from the locality of Ballara

Habitat
Spinifex, usually on rocky hillsides, ridges and gullies.

Range (Guide)

Australia (B) (NB).

Selwyn Range near Mount Isa, north-western Queensland. See also Dusky Grasswren (Amytornis purnelli).

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010) and stable.

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Insects.

Voice
High-pitched peeps and squeaks, singly or repeated, uttered when foraging in groups. Loud squeaks when alarmed. Song: a series of high-pitched, varied, short trills, 'tee-tei-tei-tit-t-tewi...'.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (1)...)

Kalkadoon Grasswren (Amytornis ballarae) [XC326744]
by David Edwards from Mount Isa City, Mount Isa City, Queensland, Australia (call, contact call)

Kalkadoon Grasswren (Amytornis ballarae) [XC521502]
by David Edwards from Cloncurry, Cloncurry Shire, Queensland, Australia (call)

Nest
Domed, occasionally cup-shaped, composed of bark, grass and plant stems, lined with finer materials, placed in the center of a low bush.

Eggs (Guide)
probably 2 - 3; slightly glossy, dull white, heavily spotted and blotched with light to dark brownish and purplish red, especially near the blunt end; tapered oval. Incubation: probably by female.

Subspecies
No subspecies.

Probably forms a superspecies with Dusky Grasswren (Amytornis purnelli) which were previously treated as conspecific.

Amytornis purnelli (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993; Christidis and Boles 2004) has been split into Dusky Grasswren (Amytornis purnelli) and Kalkadoon Grasswren (Amytornis ballarae) following Christidis and Boles (2008).

Similar Species
In north-west of its range with Carpentarian Grasswren (Amytornis dorotheae) which has white underparts and lacks any streaks on the chin, throat and breast.

References
See References.

The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9

Files:

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