Black grasswren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black grasswren |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Amytornis
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| Species: |
housei
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| Where the black grasswren lives | |
| Synonyms | |
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Magnamytis kimberleyi, Mathews, 1923 |
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The black grasswren (Amytornis housei) is a special type of bird. The Wunambal people call it dalal. It belongs to the Maluridae family, which includes fairywrens. This bird is found only in Western Australia. This means it is endemic to that area.
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Discovering the Black Grasswren
The black grasswren was first found in 1901. A naturalist named Frederick Maurice House discovered it. He was part of a group exploring the Kimberley region in northwestern Australia. House collected one bird specimen.
Later, Alexander William Milligan officially described the species. He was an expert on birds at the Western Australian Museum. Milligan named the bird after Frederick House.
For many years, no one saw the black grasswren again. It was finally seen in 1968. Dan Freeman from the Natural History Museum led a trip to find it. They went to the same area where it was first discovered.
Where It Lives
The black grasswren lives in a specific type of environment. Its natural habitat includes shrubby areas and open woodlands. These places often have large sandstone boulders and flat rocks.
You can find this bird in the Mitchell River National Park. This park is in the Kimberley region of north-west Western Australia. It also lives in the Charnley River–Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary.
Why It's Hard to See
The black grasswren is a very shy bird. It is not often seen, even when people visit its habitat. Most visitors come during the cooler months. The bird likes to hide in cracks and gaps in the sandstone rocks.
Scientists did not know much about this bird for a long time. Its eggs and nest were only discovered in 1998. This is because the areas where it lives are hard to reach. Especially during the summer wet season, the region becomes very difficult to access.
Its Nest and Eggs
The black grasswren builds an oval-shaped nest. It uses dried grass stems and leaves. The nest is usually hidden inside clumps of soft spinifex grass. Spinifex is a type of tough, spiky grass. The specific type it uses is called Triodia pungens.
The nest has a small entrance that looks like a spout. There is also a small landing area in front of the entrance. The female bird takes care of the eggs. She usually lays two eggs at a time. The eggs are white with a few dark marks. They are about 21 to 22.2 millimeters long. They are also about 15.6 to 16.7 millimeters wide.
Protecting the Black Grasswren
The black grasswren is currently listed as Near Threatened. This means it could become endangered in the future. One big problem for these birds is bushfires. Bushfires have become more common in their habitat.
Also, rainfall patterns have changed, which affects the landscape. Black grasswrens do not move around much. Because of fires, some groups of these birds might have disappeared from certain areas. For example, they might have become locally extinct around Manning Creek before 2007. Protecting their habitat from frequent fires is very important for their survival.
See also
In Spanish: Maluro negro para niños
