• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic source(s)
Christidis, L. and Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	A2c

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2022	Vulnerable	A2c
2016	Vulnerable	A2c
2015	Vulnerable	A2c
2013	Near Threatened	A2c; C2a(ii)
2012	Near Threatened	A2c;C2a(ii)
2010	Vulnerable	C1
2008	Near Threatened	A2c; A3c; A4c; B2a+b(i,ii,iii,iv,v); C1
2004	Near Threatened
2000	Lower Risk/Least Concern
1996	Vulnerable
1994	Vulnerable
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type	Australia	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	41,800 km2	medium
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	2600-14000, 11000 mature individuals	medium	estimated	2020
Population trend	decreasing	medium	inferred	1981-2010
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	30-49%	-	-	-
Generation length	3.15 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	3	-	-	-

Population justification: The population of Carpentarian Grasswrens is estimated at 2,600–14,000 individuals based on a density estimate of two mature birds per 2 km² breeding territory. The number of breeding territories comes from the combined area of 'probable habitat', as defined by a habitat suitability model (H Stoetzel unpublished), within convex hulls measured independently for each subpopulation. However, these estimates are based on limited search effort, particularly in the north of the species' range where the extent of occurrence boundary is uncertain.

Trend justification:

Major fires in 2011 and 2012 reduced the AOO and are thought to have caused the population to decline by >30%–50% within the last ten years. The decline in the area occupied is thought to be reflected in a decline in population. Between 2008 and 2013, the species' extent of occurrence was estimated to have declined by around 33%, and its area of occupancy by around 35%, with the bulk of these declines being attributed to the severe fires in 2011 and 2012 (Harrington & Murphy 2015). Though these fires eliminated grasswrens from large areas which have not yet been recolonised, such widespread fire events have not occurred since. A longer-term trend of increasing fire extent (Russell-Smith 2001) is likely to have been affecting the population since the removal of Aboriginal land management, justifying the species to be retrospectively assessed as Near Threatened in 2000 and 2010.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Australia	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Australia	Boodjamulla
Australia	Buckley River
Australia	Wollogorang

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)		major	resident
Savanna	Dry	major	resident
Shrubland	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	major	resident
Altitude	0 - 500 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Climate change & severe weather	Other impacts	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects
Energy production & mining	Mining & quarrying	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Cenchrus ciliaris	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Felis catus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Species mortality
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Carpentarian Grasswren Amytornis dorotheae. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/carpentarian-grasswren-amytornis-dorotheae on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.