Photo: Graham Winterflood / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Thick-billed Grasswren
Amytornis modestus
Thick-billed Grasswren (Amytornis modestus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Thick-billed Grasswren (Amytornis modestus) is a member of the Maluridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 23 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Maluridae Australasian Wrens
- Genus Amytornis
- Species modestus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 23 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Maluridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Thick-billed Grasswren is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Thick-billed Grasswren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Thick-billed Grasswren (Amytornis modestus) belongs to the Maluridae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU c, sc, ec Australia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 23 g, with a wing length of about 6.2 cm and a tail of around 7.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 306,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Thick-billed Grasswren?
The Thick-billed Grasswren is a small bird that weighs around 23 g.
Where does the Thick-billed Grasswren live?
The Thick-billed Grasswren is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU c, sc, ec Australia, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Thick-billed Grasswren belong to?
The Thick-billed Grasswren (Amytornis modestus) belongs to the Maluridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Thick-billed Grasswren eat?
The Thick-billed Grasswren is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Thick-billed Grasswren migrate?
The Thick-billed Grasswren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Thick-billed Grasswren endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Thick-billed Grasswren make?
1 real field recording of the Thick-billed Grasswren — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Thick-billed Grasswren's range?
The Thick-billed Grasswren has a mapped global range of about 306,000 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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