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Recent Observations of the Thick-Billed Grasswren Amytornis Textilis Modestus in New South Wales

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Recent Observations of the Thick-Billed Grasswren Amytornis Textilis Modestus in New South Wales 159 AUSTRALIAN FIELD ORNITHOLOGY 2010, 27, 159–164 Recent Observations of the Thick-billed Grasswren Amytornis textilis modestus in New South Wales DAVID G. PARKER1, DAVID EGAN2 AND MICHELLE L. BALLESTRIN2 1Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, P.O. Box 397, Griffith, New South Wales 2680 (Email: [email protected]) 2Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, Parks and Wildlife Group, P.O. Box 1049, Griffith, New South Wales 2680 Summary This note provides details of two reports of the Thick-billed Grasswren Amytornis textilis modestus in north-western New South Wales in August 2008 and August 2009. These observations were of birds on a low stony ridgeline with sparse Black Bluebush Maireana pyramidata and Thorny Saltbush Rhagodia spinescens shrubland ~80 km east of the nearest historical record at Mount Arrowsmith Station, NSW. Introduction The Thick-billed Grasswren Amytornis textilis inhabits shrublands of the arid zone of Australia. Three subspecies are recognised: A.t. textilis from Western Australia (WA), where it is now restricted to the Shark Bay area; A.t. myall from South Australia (SA), between Whyalla and the Gawler Ranges (Higgins et al. 2001; Johnstone & Storr 2004; Black et al. 2009); and the eastern subspecies A.t. modestus, which formerly extended from the southern Northern Territory (NT) through northern-central SA into north-western New South Wales (NSW) (McAllan 1987, 2000; Higgins et al. 2001; NPWS 2002). The species has, however, suffered a substantial reduction in distribution since European settlement, attributed in parts of its range to the arrival of Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus (Johnstone & Storr 2004). It was unnoticed for many years in the NT and inland WA (Black & Longmore 2009), and in NSW it was considered probably extinct by Higgins et al. (2001). Across its range the Thick-billed Grasswren occurs in chenopod shrublands, especially those dominated by species of saltbush Atriplex and Rhagodia, and bluebush Maireana, sometimes with widely scattered trees and other shrubs such as species of Acacia, Eremophila and Myoporum (Higgins et al. 2001; Black et al. 2006, 2009; Pedler et al. 2007). Historical records in NSW The historical distribution, and the handful of records, of the Thick-billed Grasswren in NSW have been discussed in various sources, including McAllan (1987, 2000), Higgins et al. (2001) and NPWS (2002), with reports from three widely separated areas: ‘Namoi’, ‘Mossgiel’ and the far north-west (Parker 1972; McAllan 1987; Black & Longmore 2009; Table 1). However, from as early as the 1880s the species had been observed to be in decline, having ‘almost entirely disappeared’ from around Mossgiel and Ivanhoe at that time (North 1904; Parker 1972). The last documented record of this species in NSW is a specimen, from 1936, AUSTRALIAN 160 PARKER, EGAN & BALLESTRIN FIELD ORNITHOLOGY Table 1 Historical records of the Thick-billed Grasswren A.t. modestus in NSW. S = specimen, E = eggs. No. Month Year Location Observer Source 1 S 1847 Lower Namoi River J.A. Gould Parker (1972) 1 S Nov. 1886 Mossgiel K.H. Bennett Parker (1972) 1 S May 1898 Mossgiel K.H. Bennett Parker (1972) (Yandembal) 1 S 1904 Mossgiel Unknown Campbell (1927) 2 S Oct. 1912 Wyarra W.D.K. MacGillivray McAllan (2000) (Mt Arrowsmith) 2 E Aug. 1936 N of Tibooburra S.L. Harvey Black & Longmore (2009) in the egg collection of Sydney Leonard Harvey, now housed in Museum Victoria. Harvey’s explanatory notebooks document his record as being from ‘Tibooburra, many miles north, towards the Queensland border’ (Black & Longmore 2009: p. 134), most likely on the Wompah Gate Road, possibly in the Mount Wood Hills, an easterly spur of the Grey Range (McAllan 2000). Neither the first (1977–81) nor second (1998–2002) atlas of Australian birds contains records for this species in NSW (Blakers et al. 1984; Barrett et al. 2003). Observations in 2008–09 North-west of White Cliffs, 24 August 2008 While travelling in the Packsaddle area, two of us (DE and MB) stopped at 0930 h to look at a pair of Cinnamon Quail-thrushes Cinclosoma cinnamomeum flushed from the side of the road. While scanning for the Quail-thrushes where they had landed, DE and MB observed a small, plump, grey-brown bird with a long tail ~20–30 m away. The bird was loosely associated with a group of White- winged Fairy-wrens Malurus leucopterus, allowing an immediate comparison, the bird being distinguished by its larger size and plumper shape. As we had previous experience of grasswrens, it was immediately apparent that this was a grasswren in shape. The bird was first seen in full dorsal and lateral view, always close to shrubs, and scampering rapidly from shrub to shrub. During the initial observation it moved around in an arc, maintaining a distance of about 20 m from us. At one point it was observed on top of a bluebush, with its tail lowered. At this time it was not possible to distinguish any significant tonal differences between the dorsal and ventral plumages, with tail and dorsum uniformly brown-grey in colour, except for some possible streaking across the side of the head. No calls were heard. After observing the bird for ~2 minutes as it moved away and over a low ridge, the bird became secretive and visible only when flushed from one clump of bluebush to another, and it had become separated from the party of Fairy-wrens. We followed it for ~100 m until it moved away at least another 50 m. At this time we chose not to disturb it any further and discontinued the search. The total observation time was ~10 minutes. VOL. 27 (4) DECEMBER 2010 Thick-billed Grasswren in NSW 161 The habitat consisted of a low ridgeline covered with gibber, with scattered Black Bluebush Maireana pyramidata and Thorny Saltbush Rhagodia spinescens the dominant vegetation (Plate 28). Scattered trees and taller shrubs were also present, including Black Oak Casuarina pauper, Elegant Wattle Acacia victoriae and Myoporum sp. North-west of White Cliffs, 2 August 2009 In August 2009, DE and MB with DP returned to the site of the 2008 sighting, arriving at 1010 h. After a brief search on the southern side of the road, with no birds of any type seen or heard calling, DE played the recording of the Thick-billed Grasswren from A Field Guide to Australian Birdsong (Buckingham & Jackson 1994). After ~1 minute (enough time for two full plays of the recording), a wren- like bird was observed on top of a low Black Bluebush ~50 m away before it soon flew low and scampered eastward down the slope of a ridge. Playback was stopped at this point, and all three observers followed the bird. The bird was again seen on top of a bluebush. We were facing it to the south- east, with the sun in the north-east, affording excellent viewing conditions. From a distance of ~40 m, the bird was observed to be dull grey dorsally and on the wings, with a stout bill compared with that of a fairy-wren, a long tail held cocked, pale throat contrasting with a darker underbody towards the belly, and clearly buff to rufous flanks below the folded wings. The crown appeared to have faint pale streaking. The bird was not heard to call. On the basis of these features, we concluded that this bird was a female Thick-billed Grasswren. At about this time, a single female White-winged Fairy-wren was also seen at about the same distance. This bird could be distinguished by its finer build and white throat and belly, with no contrast or gradation on the underbody. We followed the first bird for some minutes. It was seen hopping rapidly between Black Bluebush shrubs in what could only be described as a characteristic grasswren habit (a rapid bouncing gait) and was often glimpsed in shrubs beyond where it was last seen. Also at this time, and behind the observers, a second bird was heard making a rapid see see call, identical to the contact call of Buckingham & Jackson (1994). From glimpses of this bird to the north-north-west, and thus looking more into the sun, features were less obvious but, by behaviour and shape, it was again unmistakably a Thick-billed Grasswren. No buff–rufous patches could be seen on its flanks, and we concluded that this was a male, and therefore that a pair was present at the site. Assuming that the bird had moved away, the observers approached the bluebush to discuss the observations. While standing near the bush, however, DP observed movement within the shrub, and almost instantly the Grasswren flushed and fluttered rapidly ~15 m to another shrub. During this flight view from behind the bird, we noted the pale streaking on the greyish-brown bird. After ~20 minutes of observation we returned to the roadside to make notes at 1030 h. Just before 1100 h, we heard calls, rendered see, see, see-see-stuzeep, from the northern side of the road. DE and DP obtained glimpses of two Grasswrens ~30 m to the east-north-east, which we assumed at the time to be the same pair of birds observed earlier (but see Discussion). One bird, possibly a male, was heard to make a more elaborate call of short pips and downslurred whistles several times (which later we were able to match to a call in Buckingham & Jackson 1994). The two Grasswrens were foraging close to two Cinnamon Quail- AUSTRALIAN 162 PARKER, EGAN & BALLESTRIN FIELD ORNITHOLOGY thrushes, and a small party of White-winged Fairy-wrens, including a male in full plumage, was also in the area (within 50 m of the Grasswrens).
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