TAXON SUMMARY Thick-billed (eastern)

1 Family Maluridae

2 Scientific name Amytornis textilis modestus (North, 1902)

3 Common name Thick-billed Grasswren (eastern)

4 Conservation status Least Concern

5 Reasons for listing Although this subspecies suffered substantial declines in the 19th and early 20th century, it still occurs over most of its former range, and the remnant population is apparently stable.

Estimate Reliability Extent of occurrence 40,000 km2 medium trend stable medium Area of occupancy 10,000 km2 low trend stable low No. of breeding 20,000 low trend stable low 10 Threats No. of sub-populations 1 medium The subspecies’ disappearance from New South Wales Generation time 4 years low has been attributed to destruction of habitat by live- 6 Infraspecific taxa stock (Schodde, 1982, McAllan, 1987). This A. t. myall (Gawler Ra.) is Least Concern. A. t. textilis disappearance coincided with a period of severe (Western Australia) is Near Threatened. The species is drought, which followed a decade of extraordinarily Least Concern. high stocking rates throughout the region (McAllan, 1987). It is also now absent from some areas of

7 Past range and abundance apparently suitable habitat within its present range. Catchments of Lake Frome and western Lake Eyre However, it is known to be able to survive in very basins, S. A., extending into southern Northern sparse cover in areas degraded by sheep, rabbits and Territory and middle Darling R. catchment, N. S. W. drought (L. Pedler, G. Ragless). Almost all the (Schodde and Mason, 1999). Occurrence of an isolated subspecies’ current known distribution is pastoral land. sub-population in Namoi R. Valley, N. S. W. In many areas, the subspecies appears to be thriving, (McAllan, 1987) has been questioned (Schodde and although the reasons for its patchy distribution are not Mason, 1999). understood.

8 Present range and abundance 11 Recommended actions Although no longer present at Mungeranie on the 11.1 Determine relationship between habitat and Birdsville Track, S. A. (L. Pedler) and not recorded in distribution and abundance. New South Wales since 1912 (McAllan, 1987), widespread and locally common across most of former 11.2 Regularly monitor known population, range in Lake Eyre and Lake Frome basins (Parker and particularly at edges of range. Reid, 1979, Brandle, 1998, Rowley and Russell, 1997). 11.3 On the basis of 11.1, encourage appropriate Despite earlier doubts (Parker, 1972), still occurs in land management. southern Northern Territory (Brandle, 1998), though apparently not Palm Valley, where first collected. 12 Bibliography 9 Ecology Brandle, R. (ed.) 1998. A Biological Survey of the Stony The eastern subspecies of Thick-billed Grasswren Deserts, South Australia 1994-1997. Department for inhabits chenopod shrublands, particularly those Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs and dominated by saltbush Atriplex and bluebush Maireana. National Parks Foundation of South Australia, lay 2 eggs in domed or hooded nests built Adelaide. in dense bushes, near the ground (Schodde, 1982, Coate, 1994, Rowley and Russell, 1997).

436 Coate, K. H. 1994. Another instance of Thick-billed Rowley, I. and Russell, E. 1997. Fairy-wrens and Grasswrens hiding in burrows. Aust. Watcher Grasswrens. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 15:278-279. Schodde, R. 1982. The Fairy-Wrens. A Monograph of the McAllan, I. A. W. 1987. Early records of the Thick- Maluridae. Lansdowne Editions, Melbourne. billed Grasswren Amytornis textilis and Striated Schodde, R. and Mason, I. J. 1999. The Directory of Grasswren Amytornis striatus. Aust. Birds 21:33-43. Australian Birds: . CSIRO, Collingwood, Parker, S. A. 1972. Remarks on distribution and Victoria. of the grass wrens Amytornis textilis, modestus Comments received from and purnelli. Emu 72:157-166. Graham Carpenter, Peter Copley, Lynn Pedler, Ian Rowley, Parker, S. A. and Reid, N. 1979. Remarks on the status Eleanor Russell, Adrian Stokes. of some Australian passerines. Pp. 109-115 in The Status of Endangered Australasian Wildlife. M. J. Tyler (ed.). Royal Zoological Society of South Australia, Adelaide.

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