g'day all,
Mick has raised an interesting topic.
!
I have a private bet with myself that not all of
the Grasswren species have yet been identified for science.
Generally speaking, all the existing known species
are found in sparse, harsh, difficult, arid areas i.e. places infrequently
visited by the masses. and even most birdwatchers. The birds themselves are
cryptic. They do not fly up and around saying "here I am" They do not even need
a water source.
It was only in 1970 that the Striated
Grasswren was located in the Opalton (Qld) area .. many 100s of km from
other populations of this species. And only in 1966 was the
Ballara/Kalkadoon Grasswren first recorded by Bill & Helen Horton. The
Carpentarian Grasswren was recorded in 1992, by Peter Harris in Queensland for
the first time .. and it being a separate species has not been
eliminated.
There are thousands of square kms of territory with
hills yet unscaled by all except the odd surveyor erecting a trig point.
The "Red Indian" country east of Winton with its flat topped buttes
& mesas could be such a location.
It is early days yet to think that all the
Grasswrens species have yet been recorded & identified.
Regards
Bob Forsyth, Mount Isa, NW
Qld.
