Cinclosomatidae – Jewel-babblers & Quail-thrushes

The Cinclosomatidae family includes at least the  Cinclosoma (Quail-thrushes); eight species of ground-dwelling birds found in Australia and New Guinea and the Ptilorrhoa (Jewel-babblers), four species found in rainforest in New Guinea.

The quail-thrushes and jewel babblers are medium-sized songbirds, 17–28 cm in length. They have strong legs and bills. Males and females often differ in plumage markings. The quail-thrushes are largely brown above, the colour varying to provide camouflage against the soil, but are more boldly marked with black and white below. Jewel-babblers usually have extensive blue in their plumage. Most species have loud, distinctive songs.

Jewel-babblers are found on the New Guinea mainland and the neighbouring islands of Yapen, Batanta, Misool and Salawati. They occur in forest, generally replacing each other at different altitudes. The painted quail-thrush is also found in the forests of New Guinea.

Cinnamon Quail-thrush Cinclosoma cinnamomeum – ©JJ Harrison CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The other quail-thrushes are restricted to Australia where they are found in drier habitats, occurring in open forest, scrub and on stony ground. None of the species are thought to be threatened but one subspecies of the spotted quail-thrush is possibly extinct.

Copperback Quail-thrush Cinclosoma clarum – ©JJ Harrison CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

They are terrestrial birds which fly fairly weakly and prefer to squat or run when disturbed. They forage on the ground feeding mainly on insects and other invertebrates. In the desert, quail-thrushes also eat some seeds. They build a cup-shaped nest among shrubs or on the ground. Two or three eggs are laid.