Family ATRICHORNITHIDAE Stejneger, 1885

Museums

Regional Maps

• Atrichornithidae Stejneger, L.H. 1885. Birds. In, Kingsley, J.S. (ed.). The Standard Natural History. Boston : S.E. Cassino Vol. 4. [46].

  Type genus:

   Atrichornis Stejneger, 1885 [replacement name for Atrichia Gould, preoccupied by Atrichia Schrank, 1803 (Diptera), and unavailable].

Introduction

The two species of this monophyletic, endemic and relict family are today restricted to small populations in Western Australia, and New South Wales/Queensland (Schodde & Mason 1999). In Western Australia the one species, Atrichornis clamosus, is found in an undisturbed mixed environment of heath and sedges with scattered small eucalypts; whereas in eastern Australia A. rufescens occupies wet sclerophyll adjacent to, and occasionally in, dense temperate (beech) rainforest. Populations of both species are considered threatened.

Members of the genus are territorial, pairs occupying large territories. Males are monogamous but polygyny has been reported. All ultrataxa are dull in colouration, being varying shades of brown interrupted by fine darker vermiculations. Males of both species have a distinctive creamy-white malar stripe, a black throat and upper breast. Atrichornis clamosus is monotypic whereas two ultrataxa of A. rufescens have been recognised. All are terrestrial, keeping close to thick ground vegetation within their restrictive territories. Their flight is poor an adaptation to the microhabitat within which they live. Vocalisations are a prime resource for the genus; their loud often, ventriloquial calls are exclusive to the family. Feeding is accomplished with the birds probing and scratching through leaf litter for invertebrates.

Nests are built on the ground, placed cryptically in thick undergrowth. They are globular structures of rushes, lined with grasses and other plant materials that are cardboard-like in appearance. These nests have a side entrance. One or two pale buff eggs are laid; these are primarily spotted or blotched with reddish brown.

Much of the anatomy of the genus shows a strong affinity or close relationship to the Menuridae. The syrinx in particular is very similar allowing the birds to expound with their mimicry. Other osteological characters also align the two families in close association (Ames 1971; Feduccia 1975; Bock 1985).

General References

Ames, P.L. 1971. The Morphology of the Syrinx in Passerine Birds. Peabody Museum of Natural History, Bulletin 37: vi 194 pp. 21 pls

Bock, W.J. 1986. Species concepts, speciation and macroevolution. pp. 31-57 in Iwatsuki, K., Raven, P.H. & Bock, W.J. (eds). Modern Aspects of Species. Tokyo : University of Tokyo Press.

Feduccia, A. 1977. A model for the evolution of perching birds. Systematic Zoology 26: 19-31

Schodde, R. & Mason, I.J. 1999. The Directory of Australian Birds : Passerines. A Taxonomic and Zoogeographic Atlas of the Biodiversity of Birds in Australia and its Territories. Collingwood, Australia : CSIRO Publishing x 851 pp.

History of changes