Alternative names: Chestnut-backed Quail-thrush; Chestnut Groundbird
- Cinclosoma castanotum
Cinclosoma castanotus
Identification
21-26cm.
Male:
- Black throat, face and upper breast
- White eyebrow and broad white streak on side of throat
- Grey flanks and white central belly
- Grey-brown upper back
- Chestnut shoulder to lower back, forming a band over the upperparts
- White tail tip
Female:
- Paler than male
- Brown face
- Grey upper breast
Juveniles are similar to females.
Distribution
Southeast South Australia, southwest and central New South Wales and northwest Victoria
Locally fairly common.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Formerly considered conspecific with Copperback Quail-thrush.
The proposed subspecies (mayri, morgani) are considered indistinguishable from the nominate form.
Habitat
Mallee, low shrubs, dry woodland and heath in arid or semi-arid regions, usually on sandy substrates.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes invertebrates such as grasshoppers, beetles, flies, caterpillars, ants and seeds.
A shy, elusive bird, foraging on the ground.
Breeding
It nests in a depression in the ground which is lined with bark, grass and twigs. Lays 2 eggs.
Resident species, in some arid regions also nomadic.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553422
- Simpson, K and N Day. 1998. Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-7136-4877-5
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2015. IOC World Bird Names (version 5.2). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Chestnut Quail-thrush. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Chestnut_Quail-thrush
