Animalia Life

Amytornis housei
TAXONOMY
Amytornis housei Milligan, 1902, central Kimberleys, Western Australia.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Amytis noir; German: Schwarzkehl-Grasschlьpfer; Spanish: Ratona de la Hierba Negra.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
8.3 in (21 cm); female 0.83–0.98 oz (23.5–27.9 g), male 1.0–1.1 oz (29.0–31 g). A large, dark grasswren, with rusty back and long, broad tail.
DISTRIBUTION
Rare and local in the Kimberley Division of northwestern Western Australia.
HABITAT
Found among tumbled sandstone outcrops and gorges, in spinifex and scrub.
BEHAVIOR
Poor fliers, and move about in groups by hopping among tussocks. Song is low-pitched and includes buzzing notes and trills.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Forage mostly on ground for invertebrates and seeds of various grasses.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Breeding biology is poorly known.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Although not threatened by IUCN criteria, it is rare and local in
DISTRIBUTION
. May be threatened by frequent fires.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

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