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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Maluridae
  4. ›
  5. Amytornis
  6. ›
  7. Thick-billed Grasswren
Thick-billed Grasswren
Photo · (c) Alan Bell, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Thick-billed Grasswren

Amytornis modestus(North, 1902)

Updated 21 March 2026

Conservation status: Least ConcernOrigin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Maluridae
Genus
Amytornis

At a glance

The Thick-billed Grasswren is a small bird, about 14–20 cm long, listed as Least Concern and endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
14–20 cm
Conservation status
Least Concern
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Thick-billed Grasswren look like?

The Thick-billed Grasswren is a small bird, about 14–20 cm long and weighing 16–21 g.

The thick-billed grasswren is a species of bird in the family Maluridae. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitat is Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
14–20 cm
Weight
16–21 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Thick-billed Grasswren?

The Thick-billed Grasswren is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Thick-billed Grasswren eat?

The Thick-billed Grasswren feeds on seeds and terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Thick-billed Grasswren live in Australia?

The Thick-billed Grasswren is endemic to Australia, recorded across 12 of Australia’s bioregions, with a core range spanning central, south-central and east-central Australia.

BreedingCentral, south-central and east-central Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Non-breeding
  • Vagrant
  • Resident

6 regions recorded