Colluricincla harmonica
The Grey Shrike-thrush is a rather drab coloured bird, although the plumage varies throughout its extensive range. Birds are mostly grey in the east, with an olive-grey back, and pale grey-white cheeks and underparts. In the north, the plumage is predominantly brown, and western birds are grey with buff underparts. Adult males are browner on the mantle than the female and young birds have varying amounts of rufous on the cheeks and wings.
Not Threatened
The Grey Shrike-thrush is a rather drab coloured bird, although the plumage varies throughout its extensive range. Birds are mostly grey in the east, with an olive-grey back, and pale grey-white cheeks and underparts. In the north, the plumage is predominantly brown, and western birds are grey with buff underparts. Adult males are browner on the mantle than the female and young birds have varying amounts of rufous on the cheeks and wings.
22-25 cm, 63 g
Taxonomy: Turdus harmonicus Latham, 1801, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Races have sometimes been divided into three species: one in New Guinea and N Australia (superciliosa and brunnea), one in W, C & SC Australia (rufiventris), and a third in E Australia and Tasmania (nominate and strigata). Considerable geographical variation, and up to 13 local forms sometimes distinguished, but races intergrade widely. New Guinea population often separated as tachycrypta; differs somewhat from birds in NE Australia (Cape York, in N Queensland), but not sufficiently to warrant subspecific recognition. Other named races, all in Australia, are parryi (Kimberly District of Western Australia), roebucki (Roebuck Bay, in Western Australia) and julietae (interior NW Australia), all merged with brunnea; pallescens (E Queensland), anda (NE South Australia) and halmaturina (SE South Australia and adjacent New South Wales and Victoria), all merged with nominate; whitei (interior South Australia), synonymized with rufiventris; and kingi (King I, in Bass Strait), merged with strigata. Five subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * brunnea Gould, 1841 - N Western Australia, Northern Territory and NW Queensland. * rufiventris Gould, 1841 - S half of Western Australia and Northern Territory and W two-thirds of South Australia. * superciliosa Masters, 1876 - tS & E New Guinea E from Sepik Basin and Wewak in N and, in S, from Kurik (inland to Sogeri Plateau, Bulolo valley, N & S Eastern Highlands Province and Mount Hagen town), Torres Strait islands and extreme NE Australia (N Cape York Peninsula). * harmonica (Latham, 1801) - S half of Queensland and S to NE & SE South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. * strigata Swainson, 1838 - islands in Bass Strait and Tasmania.
It is found in forests and woodlands. It is a common and familiar bird, although some decrease in numbers has been noted around human habitation, particularly in the west of its range.
Searches for food on the ground, generally around fallen logs, and on the limbs and trunks of trees. It has a varied diet consisting of insects, spiders, small mammals, frogs and lizards, and birds' eggs and young, and some birds have been observed feeding on carrion. Fruits and seeds may also be eaten on occasion.
Grey Shrike-thrush pairs generally remain together for life and inhabit the same areas throughout this time. Breeding territories of up to ten hectares are maintained. The nest is a cup-shaped structure of dried vegetation, and may be constructed in the same site year after year. Both birds share the nest-building and incubation duties, and both care for the young birds.