The Plains Wanderer Project
What is a Plains Wanderer?
(This information is lifted from the Bush Heritage Australia website.)Add a Standard Page
https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/plains-wanderer
Found only in the arid grasslands of south-eastern Australia, there are estimated to be between 250 and 1,000 of these small, ground-dwelling birds left in the wild today.
Although a Plains Wanderer resembles a quail with lankier legs and a finer bill, it’s actually a closer relative of gulls and shore birds. The South American Seedsnipe – a plant-eating shorebird – is its closest relative and it’s thought the bird’s evolution could trace back 60 million years to when Australia was connected to South America and Antartica! 1
Standing about 12-15cm tall and weighing 40 to 95 grams, Plains-wanderers are small fawn coloured birds that blend in seamlessly with the plains of arid Australia. Their dappled feathers include white and blackish marks, with spots and streaks on the head and neck.
Adult males are light brown and have fawn-white underparts with black crescents. Females are larger and sport a distinctive white-spotted black collar around the neck and reddish brown chest.
Plains Wanderer. Photo Graeme Finlayson.
Where do Plains Wanderers live?
Once found from Victoria through to Queensland, small fragmented populations are holding on in western Victoria, eastern South Australia and in the western riverina region of NSW.
Habitat structure is very important. Their preference is for semi-arid, native grasslands with a diversity of plant species, which usually occur on red-brown soils. Typically, good habitat contains around 50% bare ground, 40% herbs, forbs and grasses (mostly under 5cm but with some tussocks for concealment) and 10% fallen vegetation litter in which they’ll forage for seeds, leaves and insects.
Most recorded sightings in the last 30 years have been in the western riverina of NSW, but surveys across 5,000km2 of this area in the 1990s found even in this stronghold, only about 5% of the land was suitable habitat, shrinking to 1% or 2% in very hot or wet years when grasslands became too dense or were grazed too low. 2
Plains Wanderer behaviour
In suitable conditions, Plains Wanders are largely sedentary, although they may be more active during droughts.
Each bird would have an average home range of around 12 hectares. Males and females with overlapping ranges form breeding pairs, with the larger females defending their territories and mating with several birds in a season while the males incubate eggs and raise the young.
In suitable conditions females can lay multiple clutches of two to five eggs a year.
Plains-wanderer at Boolcoomatta. Photo Andrea Tschirner
.
Plains-wanderer found at night at Boolcoomatta. Photo Emily Mathews.
Threats to Plains Wanderers
Plains- Wanderers are easy prey for foxes. If disturbed their first instinct is to run. While not entirely flightless, they tend to fly low and poorly, relying on camouflage to avoid being seen (they’re very hard to see in daylight and easier to find at night with spotlights).
