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Russet-tailed Thrush
(Zoothera heinei)
Size: 26-29 cm
Weight: 100 g (average)
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Russet-tailed Thrushes are rainforest birds. Their
plumage is highly
cryptic.
They have a scaly pattern basically all over their body,
with a near-white front with mid- to dark-brown scales on
the front and some light-brown tint on the chest. The back
is almsot all olive-brown, with near-black scales. The
eyes are surrounded by a light-grey eye-ring and lores.
The wing feathers are dark greyish-brown with lighter-brown
leading edges. The rump is russet-coloured, with darker
scales. The tail is also russet-brown.
The eyes have dark-brown irises. The bill is grey, the legs
and feet are pinkish-grey.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Compared with Bassian
Thrushes, Russet-tailed Thrushes have paler colours on the
head and especially the median wing coverts and are richer russet
brown on rump and uppertail.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See
Russet-tailed Thrush at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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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
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The global distribution of the Russet-tailed Thrush is available
HERE
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Russet-tailed Thrushes are found in eastern Australia and in
parts of New Guinea.
Russet-tailed Thrushes, race
"heinei",
are endemic to Australia.
They populate a narrow strip along the East coast of Australia,
from about the Manning River, NSW, in the South to about Eungella
NP, QLD, in the North.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Russet-tailed Thrushes are found mostly in low-elevation rainforest, whereas Bassian Thrushes are found mostly in
rainforest at
higher altitudes, e.g. on the Dorrigo Plateau (in Dorrigo NP).
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "heinei"
Russet-tailed Thrushes, nominate race
"heinei",
were first seen by us at
Wingham Brush NR
in June 2011 and again in September 2011. This location is
on the southern border of their range, in the Manning River
estuary.
B. Hensen reports spotting a Russet-tailed Thrush, race
"heinei", at
Dorrigo NP,
NSW, in February 2013.
A. Ross-Taylor reports finding a Russet-tailed Thrush, race
"heinei", at
O'Reilly's Plateau,
Lamington NP, QLD, in July 2017.
M. Eaton reports spotting a Russet-tailed Thrush, race
"heinei", at
Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, in December 2017.
V. Collins reports finding a Russet-tailed
Thrush, race
"heinei", at
Wingham Brush NR
in January 2021.
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Photos |
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Race "heinei"
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ADULT |
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Frontal view of a Russet-tailed Thrush
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, December 2017]
Near-lateral view of a Russet-tailed Thrush on the ground in
dense rainforest
[Wingham Brush NR,
NSW, September 2011]
Close-up lateral view of a Russet-tailed Thrush
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Wingham Brush NR,
NSW, January 2021]
Lateral view of a Russet-tailed Thrush
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, December 2017]
Close-up lateral view of a Russet-tailed Thrush
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Wingham Brush NR,
NSW, January 2021]
Lateral view of a Russet-tailed Thrush
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Dorrigo NP,
NSW, February 2013]
Lateral/ventral view of a Russet-tailed Thrush
[Wingham Brush NR,
NSW, September 2011]
Dorsal view of a Russet-tailed Thrush
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, December 2017]
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Food, Diet |
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Like all ground thrushes known to us, Russet-tailed Thrushes feed
on small insects, grubs and worms that they find in soft soil or
under leaf litter in dense, wet
forests.
This Russet-tailed Thrush is seen foraging in leaf litter
[Wingham Brush NR,
NSW, September 2011]
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.