The Eyrean Grasswren (Amytornis goyderi) is one of the most sought-after birds of Australia’s inland deserts. Like other grasswrens, it is far more often heard or glimpsed than properly seen: a small, earth-bound bird scurrying between clumps of vegetation with tail cocked, only briefly popping into view before vanishing again. It is also one of the smallest of the grasswrens, at roughly 14–16 cm long, and has a notably thick, finch-like bill. That heavy bill is thought to relate in part to its use of canegrass seeds, an unusual feature in a group more often associated with spinifex country.
The species was first collected in the 1870s, then effectively vanished from scientific view for decades. After its original discovery, there was an 87-year gap before it was rediscovered in 1961. Even now, despite a better understanding of its range and how to find them, it remains one of those birds that feels special every time it appears.
In appearance, the Eyrean Grasswren is subtle rather than flashy. It has warm rufous-brown upperparts, a pale whitish throat and underparts, and finely streaked head and mantle plumage that help it disappear almost perfectly into the red dunes it inhabits. Like many grasswrens, it spends much of its time on the ground or low in shrubs, running, hopping and slipping through cover rather than taking prolonged flight. Worse, instead of running away they will watch silently from the shrubbery, remaining completely hidden until you walk past.
This species is an inland specialist of the Lake Eyre Basin dune fields, occurring through parts of the Simpson and Strzelecki Deserts in South Australia, with records extending into the far south-west of Queensland, the Northern Territory, and, more recently, north-western New South Wales. They are closely tied to large clumps of Sandhill Canegrass on dune tops. However in the south of their range they can also be found in other vegetation types. Well-structured dune systems with good ground cover seem to be the key. In this kind of country, Eyrean Grasswrens move quietly through canegrass, low shrubs and other dune vegetation, often in pairs or small family groups.
The first telltale signs that you’re in a territory can be found by looking down. As they seldom fly, they create little highways of footprints as they run back and forth across the dunes. Observing the bird themselves is harder. They can be frustratingly elusive, but their calls are a giveaway: clear, silvery, tinkling phrases that carry remarkably well in still desert air. Many birders first become aware of the species not by sight, but by hearing a call from somewhere deep within a canegrass tussock. Once you’ve located one, patience is critical. You may wait a long time staring at the tussock, only for the grasswren to break cover the first time you turn away. You may think you are following one along the dune, until you hear it call mockingly behind you.
Because it lives in such a climatically variable landscape, the Eyrean Grasswren probably witnesses major changes to its habitat. Good rainfall years can transform dune systems, bringing on vegetation growth and creating conditions under which birds can flourish. Dry years will kill this vegetation and turn the dunes into a lonely wasteland. But, unlike many other desert species, like the Flock Bronzewing, Black Honeyeater, or Grey Falcon, they do not travel to find areas of localised rainfall or abundance. No matter if it’s drought or rain, they stay on their dunes and endure.
To search for it is an exercise in both adventure and detective skills. You have to inspect the habitat, watch carefully for footprints, listen carefully, and read the landscape. When an Eyrean Grasswren finally steps into view, perched briefly on a canegrass stem or running across red sand with tail held high, it feels less like an ordinary sighting and more like being let in on a secret of the inland.
Further reading
- Cole, J., & Gibson, D. (1987). The Eyrean Grasswren Amytornis goyderi in the Northern Territory. South Australian Ornithologist, 30, 57-59.
- Hunt, T. J., Pedler, R. D., & West, R. S. (2023). Further records and breeding of the Eyrean Grasswren Amytornis goyderi in New South Wales. Australian Field Ornithology, 40, 20-33.
- Coleman, L., Leseberg, N., Aubault, H., Dickman, C., & Watson, J. E. M. (2026). Habitat requirements of the little-known Eyrean Grasswren Amytornis goyderi. Emu – Austral Ornithology, 1–17.
- May, I. A. (1977). Recent Re-Discovery of the Eyrean Grasswren.
