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Sandstone Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla woodwardi) Alternate name(s): "Brown-breasted Shrike-thrush", "Woodward's Shrike-thrush", "Sandstone Thrush", "Rock Thrush"; NB: Includes former "Brown Shrike-thrush" Size: 24-26 cm Body mass: 47-62 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 Sandstone Shrike-thrushes are large shrike-thrushes. The colours of their plumage are an excellent adaptation to the habitat in which they live. Lores and throat are buff-coloured, the rest of the front is cinnamon, with fine streaking and a grey wash on the breast. The head is grey, while the back, from mantle to rump, is greyish-brown. The flight feathers are dark-grey, with brown edge lining. The tail is dark grey-brown. The most prominent difference between the two sexes is that males have a black bill, while that of females is bluish-grey. The irises are brown. The legs and feet are dark-grey. The underparts of juvenile birds are paler and may show more streaking than those of adults.

Taxonomy, classification See Sandstone Shrike-thrush at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information Looking for an "old-world thrush" , rather than a shrike-thrush? Have a look here .

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 Sandstone Shrikethrush is available HERE . Sandstone Shrike-thrushes are endemic to tropical northern Australia. Their range is quite restricted, encompassing the Kimberley, WA, the Top End, NT (but nowhere in the NW part of the Top End, inside about 200 km of Darwin), continuing from about Katherine, NT, westward, along the southern coastline of the Gulf of Carpentaria, to just eastward of the NT/QLD border. South of the Gulf of Carpentaria their distribution is not well-known. Sandstone Shrike-thrushes have a strong preferences for sandstone cliffs, escarpments and rock ledges, often in river gorges. They are almost exclusively ground-dwelling.

Sightings Click here for sighting information M. Mearns reports spotting a Sandstone Shrike-thrush at Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, far-western QLD, in November 2012, and another in September 2019. This location is on the eastern edge of the species' range. B. Hensen reports finding a Sandstone Shrike-thrush at Nourlangie Rock, Kakadu NP, NT, in July 2018. P. Brown spotted Sandstone Shrike-thrushes at Keep River NP, NT, in November 2018. Another was found at the Escarpment Walk, near Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, in March 2021. M. Eaton found Sandstone Shrike-thrushes at Ubirr and Nourlangie, NT, in July 2020. In June 2026, M. Eaton also spotted Sandstone Shrike-thrushes at Mirima NP, near Kununurra, WA.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Male Sandstone Shrike-thrushes, left, have a black bill and a predominantly grey head; females have a grey bill and a more brownish head.

Pair of Sandstone Shrike-thrushes characteristically perched on the edge of an escarpment - male on the left, female on the right; these two birds can be heard calling in the recording obtained on 20 November 2018 (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

MALE

Lateral view of a Sandstone Shrike-thrush; the black bill indicates that this is a male (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a Sandstone Shrike-thrush, characteristically sitting on a sandstone rock ledge (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Sandstone Shrike-thrush clinging to the face of a sandstone rock (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a male Sandstone Shrike-thrush (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Sandstone Shrike-thrush (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2018]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Sandstone Shrike-thrush; note the light-grey bill (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Ubirr, NT, July 2020]

Frontal/ventral view of a female Sandstone Shrike-thrush sitting on the edge of a sandstone escarpment; note the bluish-grey bill (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Lateral view of a female Sandstone Shrike-thrush (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Ubirr, NT, July 2020]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a female Sandstone Shrike-thrush (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Ubirr, NT, July 2020]

View onto the upperparts of a female(?) Sandstone Shrike-thrush (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, September 2019]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Pair of Sandstone Shrike-thrushes characteristically perched on the edge of an escarpment - male on the left, female on the right; these two birds can be heard calling in the recording obtained on 20 November 2018 (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Sandstone Shrike-thrushes were found in this crevice in an escarpment; it may be a roost and possibly also a nest site
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lorella Springs Station, Roper Gulf Country, NT, September 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.

sandthr_pb_20210918.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Territorial calls(?)	© PB
sandthr_pb_20181120.m4a	(Keep River NP, NT)	Territorial calls(?), Q&A	© PB
sandthr_pb_20181118.m4a	(Keep River NP, NT)	?	© PB
sandthr_pb_20210319.m4a	(Victoria River, NT)	?	© PB

More Sandstone 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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.