Pedionomus torquatus
The Plains-wanderer is of great scientific interest being the sole member of a genus and family of birds found only in eastern Australia. However, the species has declined greatly since European settlement. Areas where it was formerly common are now so reduced in numbers that it is effectively extinct in many part of its former range. The only stronghold of the species is the Riverina of south west New South Wales. Known areas of secondary importance include north-central Victoria, central-western Queensland and north east South Australia.
Plains-wanderers live in sparse lowland native grasslands. They prefer areas with a 50/50 mix of bare ground and low, widely spaced plants. Plains-wanderers feed on a wide range of seeds, insects and spiders. They do not require regular access to water, gaining all they need from their food and by pecking up drops of dew and rain from leaf tips. They are sedentary birds unless displaced by changes to their habitat.
Plains-wanderers usually lay four eggs in a hollow that has been scratched from the ground by the female, and then lined with grass. The male does most of the incubation and all of the chick rearing, leaving the female free to pair with another male.
Plains-wanderers are easily distinguished from quail and button-quail during flight by a distinctive pattern on the upperwing, and also by their direct but more ponderous flight. Plains-wanderers also have a characteristic upright alert posture, slimmer neck and distinctly longer legs than any quail species.
Widespread cultivation of lowland native grasslands and their conversion to croplands and dense introduced pastures has been the single biggest factor in the near extinction of Plains-wanderer populations. Further clearing of native grasslands will lead to a deterioration in the national status of the Plains-wanderer, and of associated grassland biodiversity.
According to the Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000, the Plains-wanderer is endangered.
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Conservation 
