Birds Of A Feather

COUNTRY STYLE’S BERNHARD SCHMITZ JOINS EXPERT PHILIP MAHER IN SEARCH OF THE ELUSIVE PLAINS-WANDERER NEAR DENILIQUIN, NSW.

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY BERNHARD SCHMITZ

THE SUN IS SETTING FAST over one of the flattest places in the Southern Hemisphere, the plain between Deniliquin and Hay in the Riverina region of New South Wales. Day gives way to night, and this is the best time – and one of the only places on earth – to find the enigmatic and elusive little bird that we are looking for, the plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus). This small but charismatic creature is incredibly rare, with an estimated population of just 250 mature birds in the wild, according to the experts who compiled The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. In bright daylight, the plains-wanderer is perfectly camouflaged in the sparse grasses of the paddock. However, our chances of finding one at this time of night are high, thanks to…

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Country Style (Digital) - 1 Issue, November 2024

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