Orthonychidae
The Chowchilla (Orthonyx spaldingii) is endemic to Australia, where it is restricted to upland and lowland tropical rainforests of north-eastern Queensland.
Description
Males and females largely dark brown with white eye-ring, tail-feather shafts extend as spines beyond feather-vanes; males with white throat, breast and belly; females with bright rufous throat and upper breast, white lower breast and belly.
Diet
They mostly feed on invertebrates, but also small vertebrates.
Voice
Their calls are described as continuous chattering, singing and other complex vocalizations.
Breeding
They build bulky, dome-shaped stick-nests on or or near ground, often on ferns, stumps or logs. The average clutch consists of one to two white eggs.
Species Research by Sibylle Johnson
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