The cinnamon quail-thrush is a small to medium-sized species of bird that is endemic to Australia. This bird is found in the arid and semi-arid regions of central Australia.
Region
Australian arid zone
Typical Environment
Occurs across the arid and semi-arid interior of Australia, favoring stony gibber plains, red-sand deserts, and open shrublands. It is closely associated with mulga and acacia habitats, as well as spinifex-dotted landscapes and dry creek lines. Birds keep near low cover for protection but regularly venture into open ground to forage. Distribution is patchy, tracking suitable ground cover and food availability after rains.
Altitude Range
0–1200 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A ground-dwelling songbird of Australia’s arid interior, the cinnamon quail-thrush often runs rather than flies when disturbed. Its warm rufous-cinnamon tones blend with red sands and stony gibber plains, providing excellent camouflage. Males show a bold black breast band, while females are duller and more mottled. It typically keeps to pairs or small family groups and is easily overlooked despite being locally common.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low to the ground
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, maintaining territories year-round. Nests are shallow ground cups hidden under shrubs or grasses. Pairs are thought to be monogamous, with both adults guarding the territory and young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of clear, mellow whistles delivered from low perches or the ground, carrying well in open country. Calls include sharp ticking notes and soft contact whistles used between pair members.
Plumage
Warm cinnamon-rufous upperparts with paler underparts; male shows a crisp black breast band bordered by paler areas, female is browner and more mottled. Tail is long with contrasting white tips on the outer feathers. Overall plumage is cryptic and matches red soils and stony ground.
Diet
Primarily takes insects and other small invertebrates such as beetles, ants, spiders, and caterpillars gleaned from the ground. It occasionally supplements with seeds and small plant material, especially in drier periods. Foraging is done by walking and pausing to pick prey, often flipping leaves or probing soil crust. After rainfall, it exploits booms of arthropods.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on open ground among stones, red sands, and sparse leaf litter near low shrubs. Often forages along the edges of spinifex clumps, mulga stands, and dry creek beds where cover and prey coincide.
