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Chowchilla (Orthonyx spaldingii) Alternate name(s): "Auctioneer-bird", "Northern Logrunner" Aboriginal name(s): "jawujala" [ngadjon], "chowchilla" Size: 26-28 cm Body mass: 155-200 g (male), 120-145 g (female)

Australia: Family Group 19 Family Group 19 Table Southern Scrub-robin Northern Scrub-robin Hooded Robin Dusky Robin Rose Robin Pink Robin Flame Robin Scarlet Robin Norfolk Robin Red-capped Robin Grey-headed Robin White-browed Robin Buff-sided Robin Mangrove Robin White-breasted Robin Western Yellow Robin Eastern Yellow Robin Pale-yellow Robin White-faced Robin Yellow-legged Flycatcher Lemon-bellied Flycatcher Jacky Winter Logrunner Chowchilla White-browed Babbler Hall's Babbler Grey-crowned Babbler Chestnut-crowned Babbler Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Chowchillas are medium-sized rainforest birds. Their highly cryptic plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Males have a white throat and upper chest, while that of females is orange. Otherwise both sexes are the same. The head is near-black, while the rest, except for the white lower chest and belly, is dark olive-grey. The eyes are surrounded by broad, light-grey eye-rings. The tail, which can be used as a prop, is wide and has terminal spines. The irises are dark. The bill, legs and feet are grey.

Taxonomy, classification See Chowchilla at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Chowchilla is available HERE . There are two races of Chowchillas, both of which are endemic to north-eastern Australia. Nominate race "spaldingii" is found to the South of Port Douglas, QLD, to just northward of Townsville, QLD. Race "melasmenus" populates a small area from Julatten, QLD, to Cape Tribulation. Chowchillas are found only in tropical coastal and near-coastal rainforest. Where to look? How to find this species? Chowchillas can reliably be found in leaf litter in rainforest, where they are usually found foraging for grubs.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "spaldingii" M. Eaton report spotting Chowchillas, race "spaldingii", at Paluma Rainforest, near Townsville, QLD, in September 2020. Race "melasmenus" Both B. Hensen and M. Eaton report finding Chowchillas, race "melasmenus", at Mount Lewis, QLD, in November 2018. M. Eaton found them again at the same location in August 2023.

Photos

Race "spaldingii"

ADULT

MALE

Near-lateral view of a male Chowchilla (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Paluma Rainforest, near Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Lateral view of a male Chowchilla (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Paluma Rainforest, near Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Lateral view of a male Chowchilla foraging in leaf litter (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Paluma Rainforest, near Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Chowchilla foraging in leaf litter (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Paluma Rainforest, near Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Race "melasmenus"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Chowchilla; note the sooty wash on the mantle
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Mount Lewis NP, near Burtons Ridge, QLD, November 2018]

FEMALE

Near-lateral view of a female Chowchilla (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Lewis NP, QLD, August 2023]

Lateral view of a female Chowchilla (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Mount Lewis NP, near Burtons Ridge, QLD, November 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a female Chowchilla foraging in leaf litter (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Lewis NP, near Burtons Ridge, QLD, November 2018]

Dorsal view of a female Chowchilla (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Lewis NP, near Burtons Ridge, QLD, November 2018]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial?

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

chowchl_me_20200927.m4a	spaldingii (Near Townsville, QLD)	Territorial calls(?)	© ME
chowchl_me_20200927_3.m4a	spaldingii (Near Townsville, QLD)	Territorial calls(?)	© ME
chowchl_me_20200927_2.m4a	spaldingii (Near Townsville, QLD)	Territorial calls(?), distant	© ME
chowchl_me_20240621.m4a	melasmenus (Atherton Tablelands, QLD)	Territorial calls(?)	© ME
chowchl_me_20230816.mp3	melasmenus (Mt. Lewis NP, QLD)	Territorial calls(?), Q&A	© ME

More Chowchilla sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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