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The Secret Life of Grasswrens

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The Secret Life of Grasswrens The secret life of grasswrens The charismatic but elusive western grasswren are locally extinct on Dirk Hartog Island. Now with a translocation plan in preparation, scientists are taking the time to learn a little more about the secretive, mouse-like birds before the big move. by Aline Gibson Vega and Kelly Rayner he cryptic cousins of the better Previous page known fairywrens, grasswrens Main Perched female western grasswren T have long been an obsession for (Amytornis textilis) at Hamelin Station Reserve. serious birdwatchers. Lacking the vibrant Above left Male western grasswren having hues of fairywrens, these birds have been caught an insect at Francois Peron National described as drab in colour, and as a Park. result they seamlessly blend in with their Photos – Aline Gibson Vega arid environment. Australia is home to Above Coastal Acacia shrubland can also be 13 species of grasswren, which are not Distribution of western grasswrens suitable grasswren habitat. only hard to spot, but often only found Photo – Kelly Rayner in the most isolated parts of the country. The joy of spotting a grasswren is not just from the bird itself, but also the adventure are now threatened or are thought to feral cats are also thought to have played a that it brings from travelling to these have declining populations due to land role in this decline, potentially preying upon remote, arid locations. degradation, which has resulted in the these ground-dwelling birds, particularly in While charismatic, grasswrens are deterioration of the dense vegetation areas lacking the thick vegetation providing extremely secretive. They prefer to stick required by grasswrens. shelter from predators. close to the ground, hopping from shrub to shrub, and are sometimes seen scuttling DISAPPEARING GRASSWRENS MANAGING THREATS in the undergrowth. It’s no wonder One particular grasswren, the western In Shark Bay, grazing pressure is being these birds have often been described grasswren (Amytornis textilis) was controlled in multiple areas. DBCA’s as ‘mouse-like’. Nests are hidden in previously found throughout much of the Parks and Wildlife Service has removed the thickest of shrubs and the birds will semi-arid rangelands of southern Australia goats and sheep from within Francois flee into the vegetation at any sign of but is now restricted to a small area of Peron National Park. The result is a thick danger. Their secretive lifestyle means South Australia and Shark Bay in Western Acacia shrubland on the peninsula. At the species requires habitats containing Australia. Their decline has primarily been the southern end of Hamelin Pool lies dense shrubland but this necessity is attributed to the degradation of suitable Hamelin Station Reserve, managed by thought to be one of the downfalls for habitat caused by heavy grazing from Bush Heritage Australia. This property grasswrens across Australia. Many species sheep, goats, cattle and rabbits. However, is also in the process of being destocked 30 LANDSCOPE “The cryptic cousins of the more better known fairywrens, grasswrens have long been an obsession for serious birdwatchers.” to ease grazing pressure and help restore research is being conducted to inform colour banding project, allowing her to habitat. Introduced predators are also management actions. DBCA Biodiversity follow individuals over multiple years. being controlled. and Conservation Science staff, in Aline has been documenting every In addition to in-situ conservation collaboration with researchers from The territorial dispute and carefully finding actions, a translocation of the birds to Dirk University of Western Australia (UWA) Hartog Island is planned. This island in and Bush Heritage are taking time to Shark Bay once had western grasswrens learn more about the western grasswren but they became locally extinct during before the big move, to ensure the the island’s time as a pastoral lease. This highest possible likelihood of a successful Top Aline Gibson Vega (left) and Kelly Rayner is part of the broader Dirk Hartog Island outcome. (right) carrying two birds in bags, and the National Park Ecological Restoration netting equipment. Landscape is the typical Project, Return to 1616, which aims to LEARNING ABOUT THE SNEAKY chenopod shrubland in which they can be return the island to a state similar to BIRDS found. Photo – Michelle Hall that when first discovered by Europeans PhD candidate Aline Gibson Vega 400 years ago. from UWA is researching key pillars of Above Aline Gibson Vega measuring the A translocation is proposed but before the western grasswren’s ecology. One head-bill length of a western grasswren. that takes place, ecological and biological component of her research has been a Photo – Kelly Rayner LANDSCOPE 31 hidden nests (often found in the prickliest A second component to inform genetically viable population on Dirk of shrubs) and has already gained valuable decision making for the translocation Hartog Island. insight into the social structure of this to Dirk Hartog Island is the genetic species, as well as key nesting preferences. structure of the source populations. Aline FUTURE PLANS In addition, Aline has been conducting and collaborators from DBCA and Bush All the information gathered from the behavioural experiments to better Heritage have successfully collected research into western grasswrens in Shark understand how western grasswrens enough genetic samples over the last two Bay will directly inform the translocation perceive unknown intruders in their years to investigate where best to source plan for the Return to 1616 project, hopefully territories. western grasswrens to establish the most resulting in a successful translocation. Above left Western grasswren perched in Acacia tetragonophylla at Monkey Mia Reserve. Above Banded female western grasswren, part of our study population at Hamelin Station Reserve. Left A female western grasswren where it most feels at home, within shrubs. Photos – Aline Gibson Vega Aline Gibson Vega is a PhD candidate at the School of Biological Sciences. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Kelly Rayner is a senior technical officer within DBCA’s Biodiversity and Conservation Science. She can be contacted at [email protected]. 32 LANDSCOPE.
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