Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Short-tailed Grasswren
Amytornis merrotsyi
Short-tailed Grasswren (Amytornis merrotsyi) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Short-tailed Grasswren (Amytornis merrotsyi) is a member of the Maluridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 19.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Maluridae Australasian Wrens
- Genus Amytornis
- Species merrotsyi
Quick facts
- Weight
- 19.6 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Maluridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Short-tailed Grasswren is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Short-tailed Grasswren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Short-tailed Grasswren (Amytornis merrotsyi) is a species of bird in the Maluridae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU sc Australia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 19.6 g, with a wing length of about 6 cm and a tail of around 7.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 43,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Short-tailed Grasswren?
The Short-tailed Grasswren is a small bird that weighs around 19.6 g.
Where does the Short-tailed Grasswren live?
The Short-tailed Grasswren is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU sc Australia, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Short-tailed Grasswren belong to?
The Short-tailed Grasswren (Amytornis merrotsyi) belongs to the Maluridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Short-tailed Grasswren eat?
The Short-tailed Grasswren is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Short-tailed Grasswren migrate?
The Short-tailed Grasswren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Short-tailed Grasswren endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Short-tailed Grasswren make?
1 real field recording of the Short-tailed Grasswren — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Short-tailed Grasswren's range?
The Short-tailed Grasswren has a mapped global range of about 43,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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