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Arafura Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha) Alternate name(s): Formerly race "parvula" of the "Little Shrike-thrush" Size: 17-19 cm Body mass: 33-49 g

Australia: Family Group 20 Family Group 20 Table Eastern Whipbird Chirruping Wedgebill Chiming Wedgebill Spotted Quail-thrush Cinnamon Quail-thrush Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush Varied Sittella Crested Bellbird Eastern (Crested) Shrike-tit Northern (Crested) Shrike-tit Grey Whistler Olive Whistler Golden Whistler Western Whistler Mangrove Golden Whistler White-breasted Whistler Rufous Whistler Gilbert's Whistler Rufous Shrike-thrush Arafura Shrike-thrush (Little Shrike-thrush) Bower's Shrike-thrush Sandstone Shrike-thrush Grey Shrike-thrush 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 Arafura Shrike-thrushes are among the smallest Australian shrike-thrushes. Details of their morphology depend on race. The front is mostly pale-rufous to grey, except for a whitish throat patch and some streaking on the chest. The head and back are grey-brown, with dark-grey flight feathers with rufous edge lining. The eyes have brown irises. The bill is dark-grey. The legs and feet are grey. Twitcher's tip Note that the bill of the Arafura Shrike-thrush is dark, whereas that of the Rufous Shrike-thrush is light (horn-coloured).

Taxonomy, classification See Arafura Shrike-thrush at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information Birds formerly classified as race "parvula" of the Little Shrike-thrush are now considered to be race "parvula" of the Arafura Shrike-thrush, which has now been given species status and is no longer considered to be a race of the newly renamed Rufous Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla rufogaster).

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 Arafura Shrike-thrush is available HERE . There are in total three races of Arafura Shrike-thrushes, "megarhyncha", "aruensis" and "parvula". Their overall range extends from West Papua (eastern Indonesia) via Papua New Guinea to the Northern Territory and northern coastal fringe of the Kimberley, WA, Australia. Race "parvula" populates the far northern coastal fringe of WA and the Top End of the NT, from about Derby, WA, to north-eastern Arnhemland, northward of the geographic latitude of Katherine, NT, including the Tiwi Islands. Arafura Shrike-thrushes can be found in various types of coastal woodland, from open woodland to mangroves and the understorey of rainforest.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "parvula" B. Hensen reports spotting a Arafura Shrike-thrush, race "parvula", at Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, in December 2015, and another at Gubara, Kakadu NP, NT, in July 2018. P. Brown finds Arafura Shrike-thrushes, race "parvula", semi-regularly in dense growth in different locations in and around Darwin, NT.

Photos

Race "parvula"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Arafura Shrike-thrush (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Robin Falls, near Adelaide River township, NT, December 2020]

Near-lateral view of a Arafura Shrike-thrush (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, October 2020]

Lateral view of a Arafura Shrike-thrush looking back; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 27 May 2020
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, May 2020]

Lateral view of a Arafura Shrike-thrush (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, December 2019]

Lateral view of a Arafura Shrike-thrush (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, December 2015]

Lateral view of a Arafura Shrike-thrush issuing its call (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Robin Falls, near Adelaide River township, NT, December 2020]

Lateral view of a Arafura Shrike-thrush foraging in leaf litter (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2018]

Lateral/ventral view of a Arafura Shrike-thrush; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 4 August 2018
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, August 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Arafura Shrike-thrush (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, October 2020]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral view of a Arafura Shrike-thrush; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 11 April 2020
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, April 2020]

Lateral view of a juvenile Arafura Shrike-thrush; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 20 February 2019
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Charles Darwin NP, Darwin, NT, February 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile Arafura Shrike-thrush, now seen calling; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 20 February 2019 (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Charles Darwin NP, Darwin, NT, February 2019]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary

Food, Diet

Arafura Shrike-thrush looking for prey (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Ludmilla Creek, Darwin, NT, January 2021]

Arafura Shrike-thrush with its find, a larva (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Ludmilla Creek, Darwin, NT, January 2021]

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.

arshrth_pb_20180726.m4a	parvula (Darwin, NT)	Contact call(?)	© PB
arshrth_pb_20200207.m4a	parvula (Darwin, NT)	Contact call(?)	© PB
arshrth_pb_20230817_3.mp3	parvula (Darwin, NT)	Territorial call(?)	© PB
arshrth_pb_20230817.mp3	parvula (Darwin, NT)	Territorial call(?)	© PB
arshrth_pb_20231128.m4a	parvula (Darwin, NT)	Territorial calls(?), pair Q&A	© PB
arshrth_pb_20230817_2.mp3	parvula (Darwin, NT)	Territorial calls(?), Q&A	© PB
arshrth_pb_20200411.m4a	parvula (Darwin, NT)	Territorial call(?)	© PB
arshrth_pb_20200527.m4a	parvula (Darwin, NT)	Territorial call(?)	© PB
arshrth_pb_20200411_2.m4a	parvula (Darwin, NT)	Hissing mobbing/alarm call (Rufous Owl), with Yellow-throated Miners	© PB
arshrth_pb_20190220.m4a	parvula (Darwin, NT)	Various	© PB
arshrth_pb_20180804.m4a	parvula (Darwin, NT)	Various	© PB
arshrth_pb_20200527_2.m4a	parvula (Darwin, NT)	Various	© PB
arshrth_pb_20200619.m4a	parvula (Darwin, NT)	?	© PB

More Arafura Shrike-thrush 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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