Sandstone Shrikethrush Colluricincla woodwardi Scientific name definitions

25–26·5 cm; 50–60 g. Male has head and neck dark grey, shading to olive-tinged brownish-grey on upperparts; side of face whitish-buff, lores paler; upperwing dark grey­ish-brown, tail dark brown; chin pale grey, throat whitish-grey with fine grey streaks, underparts pale brown, breast washed grey, thighs greyer; iris brown; bill black; legs dark brown. Female has paler bill than male. Juvenile is paler, secondaries and wing-coverts edged rufous, throat paler than breast, underparts lightly mottled; immature like adult, but with rufous wings edgings (soon lost).

N Western Australia (E from Kimberley), N Northern Territory and extreme NW Queensland.

Sandstone escarpments, gorges and hills, extending locally into limestone, granite and quartzite outcrops, rarely into monsoon escarpment forest; frequents areas with cliffs and boulders, usually with ground cover of low shrubs, scattered trees and spinifex (Triodia).

Sedentary.

Insects and spiders (Araneae), occasionally small vertebrates. Forages on ground, in spinifex clumps and cracks in rocky substrate, under boulders and ledges.

Rich, clear, varied song includes 2 repeated whistles. Call a metallic “pwink”; contact call a strident “peter”.

Eggs in late Oct and early Nov in Western Australia and late Aug to late Jan in Northern Territory. Nest a cup of spinifex, twigs and rootlets, lined with rootlets, external diameter 16–18 cm, height 6 cm, internal diameter 7·5–10 cm, depth 3·5–5 cm, placed on or under rock ledge or in cavity c. 2–11 m from base of cliff. Eggs 2–3, white, with brown and dark grey markings chiefly at larger end, 16·7–29·7 × 19·1–20·8 mm. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Locally common.