The copperback quail-thrush is a species of bird in the family Cinclosomatidae. It was split from the chestnut quail-thrush in 2015. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitat is Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation.
Region
Southwest and interior Australia
Typical Environment
Endemic to southern inland Western Australia and adjacent arid interior, where it inhabits mallee eucalypt and acacia (mulga) shrublands. It favors chenopod scrub and spinifex-dominated sandplains with patchy leaf litter and open ground. Birds keep close to low shrubs and hummocks, often in sparsely vegetated, sandy or stony soils. It uses older, less frequently burnt habitats and may be patchily distributed following fire.
Altitude Range
0–800 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy, ground-dwelling songbird, the copperback quail-thrush relies on camouflage and will freeze or run before taking a short, low flight. It was split from the chestnut quail-thrush in 2015 based on differences in plumage and genetics. Fire regimes strongly influence its habitat quality; it prefers a mosaic of older shrublands with patchy ground cover.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
low, fast bursts with short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs that maintain year-round territories. Nests are shallow cups on or near the ground, tucked under shrubs or grass clumps. Breeding often follows rainfall, with both adults provisioning the young while remaining secretive around the nest.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
The male gives clear, mellow whistles delivered from a low perch or hidden within shrubs, often at dawn. Contact and alarm calls are soft piping notes and sharp ticks, easily overlooked against ambient arid-zone sounds.
Plumage
Male shows a rich coppery-rufous back with a grey head, white throat, and a bold black pectoral band separating buff underparts; wings and tail are brown with pale edging. Female is duller and more brownish with finer mottling, reduced or indistinct breast band, and warmer rufous tones confined to the mantle. Both sexes have clean, crisp contrasts between throat, breast band, and belly when seen well.
Diet
Primarily feeds on ground-dwelling invertebrates such as ants, beetles, spiders, and termites, gleaned from leaf litter and soil surface. It will occasionally take seeds and small berries, especially in drier periods. Foraging is deliberate, with short runs and pauses to pick prey, often under the cover of shrubs or spinifex. Moisture is obtained largely from prey and opportunistic drinking after rain.
Preferred Environment
Forages on sandy or stony ground with scattered leaf litter beneath mallee, mulga, or chenopod shrubs. Frequently works the edges of spinifex hummocks and low shrub cover where prey concentrates and visibility allows quick dashes to cover.
