The Bougainville thrush is a species of bird in the thrush family Turdidae. It is found in the montane forests of Bougainville Island in the Solomon Islands Archipelago.
Region
Solomon Islands Archipelago
Typical Environment
Occurs only on Bougainville Island where it inhabits mature montane and mossy cloud forests. It favors dense understory, forested gullies, and ridges, and is most often found on or near the forest floor. The species uses primary forest but may occasionally forage along quiet edges and in older secondary growth. It avoids heavily disturbed areas and does not typically descend into lowland forest.
Altitude Range
800–2200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
An elusive forest thrush of Bougainville Island, it keeps to dense understory and mossy montane forests. It is sometimes placed in the genus Geokichla by some authorities. The species is poorly studied, and its persistence depends on intact high-elevation forests; climate warming may push it upslope into a shrinking habitat band.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through understory
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, keeping close to dense cover. Territorial during the breeding season and forages quietly on the ground, often pausing to listen before moving. Builds a neat cup nest of moss and rootlets placed low in a tree, fern, or dense shrub; typical clutches are two eggs with both parents caring for young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Delivers clear, mellow whistles in short phrases, often from a concealed perch at dawn and dusk. Also gives thin tseep contact calls and soft chuck notes when disturbed.
Plumage
Upperparts dark brown to olive-brown; underparts pale buff to whitish with bold blackish crescent-shaped scalloping. Throat lightly marked, merging into strongly scaled breast and flanks. Tail and wings dusky with subtle pale fringes.
Diet
Forages in leaf litter for beetles, ants, caterpillars, and other arthropods, and will take earthworms and small snails. Supplements its diet with fallen berries and small fruits when available. Uses a hop-and-pause method, flipping leaves with the bill and probing soft soil or mossy mats.
Preferred Environment
Shaded forest floor of mature montane forest, especially along logs, root tangles, and mossy banks. Frequently works along quiet trails, stream margins, and dense understory tangles where cover is close at hand.
