From Opus

Alternative names: Black-breasted Quail-thrush; Black-breasted Groundbird; Black-breasted Ground-thrush

Cinclosoma cinnamomeum

Includes: Nullarbor Quail-thrush

[edit] Identification

19 - 22cm. Male:

• Face pattern like other Quail-thrushes: White eyebrow, black face, broad white streak down sides of black throat
• Plain cinnamon-rufous upperparts, reddish-cinnamon in alisteri
• Buff white patch on upper breast, broad black band below. Breast completely black in alisteri
• Outer tail feathers black with white tip

Female:

• Duller than male, face grey-brown with white eyebrow and white throat
• Pale grey upper breast, no black

[edit] Distribution

Found in Australia.
Nominate locally common, alisteri uncommon.

[edit] Taxonomy

There are 2 subspecies:

• C. c. cinnamomeum in east-central Australia
• C. c. alisteri on Nullarbor Plain (southeast Western Australia and southwest South Australia)

Described tirariense and samueli are usually merged with the nominate form. Alisteri is sometimes regarded as full species, Nullarbor Quail-thrush or included as subspecies in Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush. The subspecie marginatus of the latter has been included in this species.

[edit] Habitat

Gibber plains, in sparse vegetation along (dry) watercourses. Alisteri in low vegetation associated with Nullarbor Plain limestone outcroppings.

[edit] Behaviour

Feeds on seeds, insects and spiders.
Foraging on the ground, walking slowly. Shy and elusive.
Breeding recorded in all months. The nest is a loose cup of grass, bark and sticks, placed in a depression in the ground or at the base of a tree, shrub or rock. Lays 2 eggs, alisteri 3.
Resident with some local shifts depending on conditions, particulary alisteri.

[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. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
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

• View more images of this species on the ABID