When answering a query the other idea, I realised that I may have seen
something quite unique in western Victoria. In the south end of the
Jilpanger Flora & Fauna Reserve (southwest of Horsham, north-west of the
Grampians), I have recorded sympatric populations of the Superb Fairy-wren,
Variegated Fairy-wren (inland or Purple-backed, 'assimilis' form) and
Southern Emu-wren. The habitat there is quite varied, with banksia/teatree
scrub on dune crests, Desert Stringybark heathy woodland on dune swales,
Yellow Gum and/or River Red Gum woodland on claypans.
Looking at the Vic bird atlas later, I realised that the Jilpanger emu-wrens
do not appear there. No Southern Emu-wrens were mapped directly west or
northwest of the Grampians. Thinking further, I couldn't recall any other
locations in Victoria where I would expect this particular 3-way sympatry to
occur. I imagine in NSW it occurs with the 'lamberti' form of VF-W
substituting for 'assimilis'.
Any comments?
Cheers, Lawrie
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