From Opus

Male
Photo by Tom Tarrant
Cunnamulla, SW Queensland, Australia, April 2007

Alternative names: Chestnut-breasted Groundbird; Chestnut-breasted Babbling-thrush; Black-vented Ground-thrush

Cinclosoma castaneothorax

[edit] Identification

21 - 25cm.
Male:

• Warm olive-brown upperparts
• Rich cinnamon-yellow upper breast
• Face pattern like other Quail-thrushes, white eyebrow, broad white streak on side of black throat, rest greyish-brown
• Chestnut upperparts
• Black lower breast, cinnamon-yellow flanks, black broken line between flanks and white belly

Female:

• Like female of Cinnamon Quail-thrush but with rufous wash on grey breast

[edit] Distribution

Found in east Australia (Central Queensland south to north-central New South Wales).
Uncommon.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species.
Western Quail-thrush was formerly included in this species. Also the subspecies alisteri of Cinnamon Quail-thrush (no eleveated to a full species, Nullarbor Quail-thrush) used to be included in this species.

[edit] Habitat

Stony hills with scrubby vegetation. Prefers low acacia-covered ridges.

[edit] Behaviour

Feeds on insects, spiders and seeds.
Forages on the ground, slowly walking. Elusive and shy.
Breeding season variable, does not breed at all in drought. The nest is a loose bowl of grass, leaves and twigs placed on the ground under a tree or shrub. Lays 2 eggs.
Resident species with some local dispersal according to rainfall.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. 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
3. Simpson, K and N Day. 1998. Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-7136-4877-5

• List of references

[edit] External Links