The plains-wanderer is an atypical species of wading bird, the only representative of family Pedionomidae and genus Pedionomus. It is endemic to Australia. Its historic range included much of eastern Australia, including Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory, but in recent years, it has become endangered with remaining known populations concentrated in the Riverina region of New South Wales and western Queensland.
Region
Eastern and Southeastern Australia
Typical Environment
Historically widespread across open native grasslands of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, and parts of the Northern Territory, it now persists in scattered strongholds such as the Riverina and western Queensland. It favors very open plains with a mosaic of bare ground and low herbs and forbs, avoiding dense, tall grasses and heavy shrub cover. Birds may use lightly grazed paddocks and crop stubbles when structure mimics native herbfields. Occurrence is patchy and can shift locally with rainfall and ground cover changes.
Altitude Range
0–500 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The plains-wanderer is the sole member of its family, Pedionomidae, a quail-like ground bird more closely related to shorebirds than to true quails. Females are larger and more brightly marked than males and are polyandrous, while males incubate the eggs and rear the young. It is highly specialized for sparse native grasslands and relies on camouflage, often freezing rather than flushing. Severe habitat loss and inappropriate grazing have driven major declines, making it one of Australia’s most distinctive and threatened birds.
Temperament
shy and cryptic
Flight Pattern
reluctant flier with short rapid wingbeats, dropping quickly back to cover
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in dispersed pairs. Breeding is polyandrous: females may mate with multiple males, and males incubate the clutch and care for chicks. Nests are shallow scrapes on the ground, concealed among low herbs and sparse grasses.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are generally soft and ventriloquial, often given at dusk or night. Calls include gentle whistles and low hooting notes, with females producing deeper advertising calls during the breeding season.
Plumage
Sandy-brown to buff with fine black and white speckling that provides excellent camouflage; male is plainer, while the female shows bolder spotting and a rufous collar across the breast.
Diet
Eats a mix of small invertebrates—such as ants, beetles, grasshoppers, and spiders—and seeds from native forbs and chenopods. Forages by walking slowly and picking food from the ground and low vegetation. Diet composition can shift with seasonal rainfall and availability of green herbs.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in open native grasslands with scattered low forbs and patches of bare ground. Will also use lightly grazed paddocks and crop stubble where vegetation height and density remain low.
