MARCH,1987 57

THEEYREAN AMYTORNIS GOYDERI IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY J. R. COLE AND D. F. GIBSON

In 1985 the Conservation Commission of the The is an extremely shy NorthernTerritory began a flora and fauna survey and difficult to observe. were only ever seen ofthenorthern SimpsonDesert. In April 1985,the or heard on the Sandhill Canegrass-covered dune authors, who were members of the survey team, crests and upper slopes where the canegrass were investigating the salt lake system south-west clumps ranged to four metres in diameter andfrom of the Plenty River floodout. On 20 April at 24 0 one to two metres in height. They rarely ventured 09 IS, 1360 42'E an Eyrean Grasswren Amytomis from the canegrass and when they did leave it was goyderiwascaughtin a pit-fall trapset on the top of usually to hop very rapidly to another clump. One a large sand dune adjacent to a salt lake. The bird bird was seen apparently feeding on an openpatch wascollected andits identificationlater confirmed of sand at the base of a canegrass clump where it by S. A. Parker ofthe South Australian Museum. was hopping and plunging its bill into the sand. The specimen is lodged with the Central When flight was observed it was over short Australian Wildlife Collection (reg. no. CAWC distances, close to the ground and erratic. Rarely, B256). It is the first specimen collected in the bird were seen perching high up in canegrass Northern Territory and the first conclusive proof clumps or on low shrubs although one birds was ofthe species' presence there. observed calling from the top of aim high Additional sightings are: 0 0 canegrass clump. Once disturbed, a perching bird 1. 26 Apri11985, ca 23 57'S, 136 27'E, D. Gibson sighted would drop into the cover of the canegrass. All three Eyrean on a dune covered with Sandhill Canegrass paradoxa. movements were quick and nervous. 2. In October 1985, while we were surveying an area of dunes The presence of Eyrean Grasswrens was most infested with Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus 10 km W of often indicated by calls and footprints. The most Illogwa Creek at about 24 0 10'S, 135051'E, we found the EyreanGrasswren to be commonand quite widespread. We commoncall heard was a soft, high-pitched, sharp wereable to capture one specimen in a mist net (CAWCreg. tsu or tsu tsu. During October birds were also often no. B265).This is 80 km to the west of the locality ofCAWC heard uttering cricket-like trills and occasionally 256. they would break into a beautiful warble, which 3. In November 1985 the survey team heard a few Eyrean Grasswrens calling on the dunes south-east of the AIlitra would last threeor four seconds. Sometimesafter a Tableland at 24 037 'S, 135056 'E, and one was heard calling trill or warble the bird would make an angry at 24 052 'S, 136004 'E. The species was not common in this sounding swit or swit swit. During November the area. only call heard was the tsu tsu. 4. In November 1985on Andado Station ca 45 km N of 'Old Andado' homestead at 25 007 'S, 135026'E the grasswrens In April no othermalurid species was present on were found on a large canegrass-covered dune when two the dune where the first Eyrean Grasswren was birds were seen and a few others heard calling. The species found. However, close by on a low dune covered in was probably uncommon here although only a single basedowii, Rufous-crowned Emu-wrens location was investigated. 5. In September 1986, D. Gibson sighted one bird and heard Stipiturusruficepswese present. Parker et al. (1978) two or three others calling on a dune to the west of Lake recorded sighting Rufous-crowned Emu-wrens in Caroline at 23049 'S, 137010'E. the same habitat in the southern . Figure 1shows the locationoftheabove records. It is quite likely that these two malurid species are also found together in part of the northern Simpson Desert. The grasswrens were not found at all locations In the north-western part of the range, investigated and this may reflect their secretive Variegated Fairy-wrens lamberti and nature. However,it is morelikelythat they occur in White-winged Fairy-wrens Malurus leucopterus discrete populations with a patchy distribution, as were both found on the canegrass-covered dunes suggested by Schodde (1982). with EyreanGrasswrens. TheWhite-winged Fairy- 58 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ORNITHOLOGIST, 30

~ I r--.---L \"~ '" , .~r· ,,~ 1 " -. .J I • .-,.;: ~ ~\'" .r.---....( ~~:f Tarlton I ----. " Downs I 1 TA LTON •• R 0 WNS ill ~ -~ j ~J .L." .. '%:~ I . 'OkRMORi;y· INDIANA i ~\ -, ._._-- ~.. I , ~- I. ATULA'" I' _-.J . -, ---,.---_.L_, " l. . ' .

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24'j " ~zm.r~ '\" • '\ . 24.--j -.J '~~:M1,·:. ~ "oowooj 'or \ I 'T- -' ~:~~' ·\ \ "\ I~ . ~ I -..l '\.~ • . L.~ 25' -l SIMPSON I .I DESERT , 25'.. I' 1 • ANOAOO I . I',I .I . I · r----·-.3 . I. I ·! . % ::, I 1:0 ~ G ~ 0 C') I C? C') ~ 26' ~ • ~ ~. ~ (J

~ Sightings • 50 40 30 20 10 0 50 II~I I ki ometres

Figure 1. Map of the Northern Territory portion of the Simpson Desert and surrounding pastoral properties, showing locations of Eyrean.Grasswren sightings reported here. MARCH,I987 59

wren was the most common of the two Malurus A good part of the habitat of the Eyrean Fairy-wrens on the lower slopes and in the swales Grasswren in both South Australia and where shrub diversity was greater. Morgan et al. Queensland is protected within reserves. However, (1961) recorded the White-winged Fairy-wren as an in the NorthernTerritory the sand dune systems in 'associated species' of the Eyrean Grasswren on which the grasswrens are found are as yet the Macumba River in South Australia. unprotected by way of formal conservation The Eyrean Grasswren is so far' known only reserves. from the Simpson and Strzlecki Deserts and dunes in the Cooper drainage (Parker 1980). It is found only on the Sandhill Canegrass-covered dunes. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS However,prior to the present series ofsurveys, the Wewould wish to thankJ. Smith, D. Wurst and P. McCluskey species had not positively been identified in the for their help on the survey trips. Thanks also to S:5\. Parker for Northern Territory. Both Parker et al. (1978) and confirming the identity of B256, M. Fleming for his comments on the draft of this paper and to S. Cawood who typed the Schodde (1982) had suggested that the Eyrean manuscript. Grasswren may occur throughout the Simpson Desert and Davey (1985) almost certainly saw a pair 56km NW ofPoeppel Corner in August 1966. The finding of the species in the Northern REFERENCES Territory some 240 km from its previously known range provides support for this. Davey, K. 1983. OurArid Environment. Reed: French's Forest. Morgan, D. G., Morgan, L. R., Robinson, L. N., Robinson, P. Throughout the survey area there was much A. and 1961. The Eyrean Grass-wren (Amytornis goyderii. evidence of the presence of One-humped Camels Australian Bird Watcher I: 161-171. Camelus dromedarius. In the north-west Rabbits Parker, S. A. 1980. Birds and Conservation Parks in the North­ were prolific. Large areas of swale and had been east of South Australia. S. Aust. Parks and Conservation. 3: 11-18. denuded by Rabbits and extensive warrens had Parker, S. A., May, 1.A. and W.Head 1978. Some observations been dug into the sides of some dunes. It is not on the Eyrean GrasswrenAmytornis goyderi (Gould, 1875). clear what effect One-humped Camels and Rec. S. Aust. Mus. 17: 361-371. Rabbits have had or will have on the Eyrean Schodde, R. 1982. The Fairy-Wrens. Lansdowne Editions: Grasswrens because even in areas ofheavy Rabbit Melbourne. infestation the grasswrens seemed to be quite Conservation Commission of the Northern abundant. Much ofthe canegrass inhabited by the Territory; P.O. Box1046, AliceSprings, N.T. 5750. grasswrens was in poor condition with individual Received 10 June 1986; accepted 13 November clumps being up to seventy per cent dead. 1986.