Striated Grasswrens live in pairs, or occasionally groups of three. They have territories of around three hectares and spend most of their time on the ground hopping around to catch insects, patrolling the edges of their territory, or interacting with grasswrens from nearby territories.
As spring approaches, in preparation for the breeding season, the males often congregate where several territories meet and sing for an hour or more to defend their patch. Then in August or September, the female builds a domed nest out of dry grasses and bark, and lines it with fur, soft vegetation or feathers. She lays two or three eggs which hatch after two weeks, and the young leave the nest two weeks later.
The best way to tell male and female Striated Grasswrens apart is the chestnut patch below the wing that only females have, but it’s not always easy to see.
The normal habitat of Striated Grasswrens is open mallee over a sparse layer of shrubs and a ground layer dominated by spinifex (Triodia), though they are sometimes found in other vegetation types. The spinifex is an important component as it is where they find seeds, insects and spiders to eat, it’s where they build their nests, and where they seek shelter. Striated Grasswrens are apparently able to recolonise burnt areas after about six or seven years and the habitat remains suitable up to around 40 years after fire, when the spinifex deteriorates and the shrub layer starts to die out.
A lot of grasswren habitat was cleared during the last century, which not only greatly reduced their population size, but also left them scattered in isolated remnants across the landscape. These isolated populations face greater risks of decreased genetic health and of being lost to wildfires, as there may be no way for them to move between habitat patches. Fire and drought acting together in a fragmented and degraded landscape are this species’ largest threats. Illegal trapping for the aviculture industry is a localised problem and could heavily impact smaller populations.