Staff at the Alice Springs Desert Park have been celebrating a rare and exciting success – two babies born to the first pair of Dusky Grasswrens ever known to have been kept in captivity.
Specialist bird keeper Lisa Harris says staff worked hard to create the right breeding environment after the park acquired the two adult grasswrens two years ago.
“We were all thrilled when the two chicks hatched recently. As far as we know, Dusky Grasswrens have never been kept in captivity before,” Lisa says.
These streaky brown birds are distinguished by a long tail that they hold erect like a flagpole. They are mainly found in rocky Spinifex habitat across Central Australia.
“There are 10 Grasswren species and most live in very remote areas not frequented by people, so details of their natural history, and particularly their breeding, are not well known to science.
“It’s been exciting for us to be able to observe this species up close, and now that the chicks have left the nest and begun exploring the aviary with their parents, our visitors can also see them in action.”
“They’ve been very tolerant of our presence, which means we’ve been able to observe behaviour that has never been documented before.”
To find out more about the award-winning Alice Springs Desert Park and its unique Central Australian bird, animal and plant collections, visit www.alicespringsdesertpark.com.au
PICTURED: The male Dusky Grasswren with one of its new chicks. (Photo: Alice Springs Desert Park)
