The first sighting of the critically endangered Plains-wanderer in Australia in more than three decades was detected by Zoos Victoria in two areas of remnant grassland west of Melbourne, reported The Guardian.<\/p>\n
Evolutionarily speaking, Plains-wanderers are unique. As the only member of the Pedionomidae family, there is no other bird like it on Earth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re in a family of their own,\u201d said expert birdwatching guide Tim Dolby. \u201cA lot of international birdwatchers want to see every single family of bird in the world. So at some point they have to come along and look for plains-wanderers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Loss of already sparse native grasslands is the Plains-wanderer\u2019s main threat, in addition to the declining condition of grassland habitat that remains.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey like it just right. If the grass cover becomes too thick or too sparse, they abandon the site,\u201d Zoos Victoria said.<\/p>\n
The zoo installed 35 \u201csong meters\u201d \u2014 audio recorders \u2014 on nine properties that had suitable habitat. AI was used to weed through thousands of hours of recording data, which revealed the low, soft \u201cooming\u201d call of Plains-wanderer females at two of the sites, The Guardian reported.<\/p>\n
Chris Hartnett, species program coordinator at Zoos Victoria, likened the result to \u201cfinding gold.\u201d Hartnett said they would work with land managers and owners to protect the rare species.<\/p>\n
The Plains-wanderer joined several other animals \u2014 including the koala, Southern Corroboree frog, malleefowl and brush-tailed rock wallaby \u2014 on the list of iconic species for New South Wales (NSW) in May of 2016, according to Trust for Nature.<\/p>\n
As part of their listing as an iconic species and to stop their decline, the environment minister announced that priority investment would be given to the Plains-wanderer under the government of NSW\u2019s $100 million Saving our Species program.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlains-wanderers are beautiful birds. They are mostly brown or buff in colour with white and blackish markings over the body, including spots and streaks on the head and neck,\u201d Zoos Victoria said. \u201cPlains-wanderers prefer short, sparse grasslands that provide cover and space to forage for seeds, leaves and insects. Once seen from South Australia into Victoria and up to Queensland, the Plains-wanderer has undergone a dramatic decline in the last decade. It is critically endangered and under imminent threat of extinction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Plains-wanderer populations in the wild have dramatically declined due to habitat loss and are now somewhere between 250 and 1,000 individuals. Less than one percent of the grasslands they call home remain in Victoria.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve held on, even though the landscape has changed pretty drastically,\u201d Hartnett said, as reported by The Guardian.<\/p>\n
Harnett said females of the species are larger and more colorful and dominant than males, defending their territory while males guard the eggs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re very endearing and quite eccentric,\u201d Hartnett said, adding that the courting female formed \u201ca shape with her wings like a jet plane and chased the males around.\u201d<\/p>\n
Plains-wanderers are particular about their habitat, preferring tufts of grass growing on raised mounds with no trees and interspersed with bare soil.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve often referred to the plains-wanderer as a \u2018goldilocks species\u2019,\u201d Hartnett explained, saying they preferred their grassland \u201cnot too dense, not too sparse, but just right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now that the elusive birds have been spotted on two new areas of land \u2014 one public, one private \u2014 Harnett said the researchers would continue to look for more.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe welcome anyone who thinks they may have seen one of these birds on their property to get in touch, and we can put these audio recorders out there,\u201d Harnett said.<\/p>\n
This article<\/a> by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes was first published by EcoWatch on 13 February 2025. Lead Image: Critically endangered plains-wanderers have been rediscovered west of Melbourne, Australia. Jo Howell \/ Melbourne Zoo. Help to protect wildlife by making a monthly donation of as little as $1.<\/p>\n Your donation will support vital conservation projects<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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