Chowchilla

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For other uses, see Chowchilla (disambiguation).

Chowchilla

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Orthonychidae
Genus:	Orthonyx
Species:	O. spaldingii

Binomial name

Orthonyx spaldingii
Ramsay, 1868

The Chowchilla (Orthonyx spaldingii) is a passerine bird in the family Orthonychidae. It is endemic to Australia.

1 Taxonomy
2 Description
3 Distribution and habitat
4 Behaviour
5 References

[edit] Taxonomy

Schodde & Mason (1999) recognise two adjoining subspecies, O. s. spaldingii and O. s. melasmenus with a zone of intergradation.

[edit] Description

Unmistakable thrush-like, ground-dwelling, birds. Males and females largely dark brown with white eye-ring, tail-feather shafts extend as spines beyond feather-vanes; males with white throat, breast and belly; females with bright rufous throat and upper breast, white lower breast and belly.

[edit] Distribution and habitat

The Chowchilla is restricted to upland and lowland tropical rainforests of north-eastern Queensland.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

Mainly invertebrates, but also small vertebrates.

[edit] Voice

Continuous chattering, singing and other complex vocalisations.

[edit] Breeding

Nests on or near ground, often on ferns, stumps or logs. Builds a bulky, dome-shaped stick-nest with a clutch of one, possibly sometimes two, white eggs.

[edit] References

BirdLife International. (2007). Species factsheet: Orthonyx spaldingii. Downloaded from [1] on 9 August 2007
Higgins, P.J.; & Peter, J.M. (eds). (2003). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 6: Pardalotes to Shrike-thrushes. Oxford University Press: Melbourne. ISBN 0-19-553762-9
Schodde, R.; & Mason, I.J. (1999). The Directory of Australian Birds: Passerines. CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne. ISBN 0-643-06456-7