Eyrean Grasswren

No extensive surveys of Eyrean grasswren behaviour have been undertaken, but it is thought to be sedentary. They are usually found in singles and pairs, or small groups of up to ten. It is cryptic, remaining hidden within Z. paradoxa tussocks, and is difficult to flush. Flight is rare, but when flushed the birds bound with wings half spread between tussock clumps or fly short distances of up to 10m with the tail trailing. They use a distinctive "half running, half flying" movement low to the ground, bounding and flying for short distances of 40–220 cm. Movements are quick and furtive with the tail usually held cocked. They sometimes perch low (c. 1 m) on grevillea branches, canegrass or other shrubs.

A. goyderi has a patchy, restricted distribution, found only in dune fields of the Simpson and Strzelecki deserts of Central Australia. These deserts are located in the Birdsville Structural Basin, an enormous drainage basin centring on Lake Eyre. Most populations are found in South Australia from north of Cameron Corner to Witjira National Park; with some in SW Queensland and the Northern Territory. It is likely that populations are plastic, being most abundant when canegrass is plentiful and withdrawing to refuges during drought.

A. goyderi was listed by the IUCN as threatened in 1988, and as special concern by the Royal Australian Ornithologist's Union in 1992 as further research was required. The IUCN currently lists it as least concern since the species is not thought to be declining and probably fluctuates due to seasonal cycles. Threats include any species or processes affecting the quality of sandhill canegrass habitat such as erosion driven by grazing rabbits, camels and livestock.