Spotted Quailthrush (Cinclosoma punctatum)

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Critically endangered.

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Endangered.

Breeding season

The species is described as sedentary or resident rather than migratory. Breeding activity is concentrated from late winter to early summer, with the strongest evidence for the Mt Lofty Ranges population in October and November.

Months are January to December. A value of 0 means not typical, 1 means occurs, and 2 means peak. Clearing controls should also protect occupied habitat outside the breeding season because the species is sedentary and depends on retained forest structure year round.

• Breeding, mating and laying: Breeding generally occurs from August to December. Mt Lofty Ranges clutches are recorded from August to November, with most from October to November.
• Young in nest or dependent: Ground nests and eggs occur within the documented breeding period. The duration of incubation and dependence is not provided, so the row marks the likely period when young may be present without assigning an unsupported duration.
• Movement or dispersal: The Mt Lofty Ranges population is probably sedentary or resident. No seasonal migration period or dispersal distance is provided.
• Highest clearing risk: Ground clearing and disturbance are most likely to harm the species when nests, eggs or dependent young may be present, from August to December, with the documented Mt Lofty Ranges nesting peak in October and November.

Identification

The Spotted Quailthrush is a medium-sized, heavily patterned ground bird. Its camouflage is strong, and it may be missed during clearing inspections unless observers search slowly and listen for its calls.

Adults are 26 to 28 cm long. The upperparts are brown to grey with black and white markings. The underparts are white with dark spots. The male has a black throat, a white patch below the blue eye, a white eyebrow and a broad blue-grey band extending from the eye across the breast. Females and young birds are slightly paler and have a pale orange throat.

Size: 26 to 28 cm.

Weight: Not provided.

Identification: Calls and behaviour

The call is described as a loud double whistle, whee-it, a repeated wheet-wheet-wheet sequence, or high twittering. Birds may crouch low, run through cover or remain still before making a sudden burst of flight with a whirr call. Males may call from low branches.

• Listen during early morning searches in suitable woodland, particularly early in the breeding season.
• Treat a brief call, movement across a vehicle track or a low, fast flight as a possible record and investigate without pursuing the bird.

Identification: Field signs and confusion

The supplied documents do not provide diagnostic tracks, scats, feathers, eyeshine or sloughs. The nest is a loose open cup of grass, leaves and bark placed on the ground beside a fallen log, stump or rock. The species is described as distinctive across its range, with no similar species identified within the restricted Mt Lofty Ranges population.

• Search around fallen logs, stumps and rocks for a low open cup nest containing creamy, finely coloured eggs during the breeding season.
• Do not rely on visual detection alone. The bird is unobtrusive, shy and well camouflaged, and its high-pitched call may be inaudible to some observers.

Distribution: National range

The species occurs in a broad band of eastern and south-eastern Australia, but the supplied documents provide limited detail on bioregion boundaries and population estimates. The Mt Lofty Ranges population is a separate, isolated conservation unit of high concern.

The nominate species is reported from southern Queensland through eastern Australia to western Victoria, with subspecies in the Mt Lofty Ranges of South Australia and eastern Tasmania. The supplied documents do not identify the relevant IBRA bioregions by name.

• Queensland: southern Queensland.
• New South Wales: eastern Australia, within the documented eastern range.
• Victoria: western Victoria.
• South Australia: Mt Lofty Ranges population, Cinclosoma punctatum anachoreta.
• Tasmania: eastern Tasmania.

Distribution: Subpopulations and trend

The Mt Lofty Ranges population is tiny, isolated and declining. The threatened bird survey guidelines report no confirmed recent sightings for this population at the time of publication. Elsewhere, the species is described as declining across its range, with older local information reporting that it had become very rare.

EPBC status supplied for the profile: Critically Endangered.

South Australian status supplied for the profile: Endangered.

Mt Lofty Ranges population: Tiny, isolated and declining; no confirmed recent sightings reported in the survey guidelines.

Population estimate: Not provided.

• Known local records in the supplied material include three sightings in the northern, less developed part of the Australian National Botanic Gardens, although the source does not provide a date or population estimate.
• Population size, density, home range and generation length are not provided in the supplied documents.

Habitat: Vegetation and terrain

Spotted Quailthrushes use dry sclerophyll forest and woodland, particularly on stony ridges and slopes. They need connected forest with suitable ground structure and limited disturbance.

The species inhabits eucalypt forest and woodland. It is associated with rocky ridges and slopes, stony ground and an open or sparse understorey. Short, spiky grass clumps are noted as an associated feature in the supplied material.

• Retain dry eucalypt forest and woodland on ridges, slopes and rocky ground.
• Retain patches with an open or sparse understorey, short spiky grass clumps, fallen logs and ground cover.
• Protect large areas of forest from clearing, intensive edge disturbance and removal of ground structure.

Habitat: Site constraints

The supplied documents do not give a defined elevation range, climatic limit, minimum patch size or population density. They identify large forest areas, limited land clearing and retained ground resources as important habitat conditions.

• Before clearing, inspect connected dry forest and woodland, rocky ridges and slopes, including apparently sparse or low-quality ground vegetation.
• Map retained forest links and avoid creating isolated remnants where practicable.

Foraging habitat: Food and feeding sites

The Spotted Quailthrush forages on or close to the ground. It is an omnivore that uses forest-floor resources rather than a specialised canopy food source.

The diet includes insects, seeds and some very small reptiles. The supplied documents do not identify particular plant species, prey species, feeding distances or home-range size.

Diet: Insects, seeds and some very small reptiles.

Foraging range: Not provided.

• Retain leaf litter, fallen timber, ground cover and natural shelter around rocky ridges and woodland edges, because these features provide the documented foraging and nesting resources.
• Avoid collecting firewood from retained habitat or reserves. Removal of fallen logs reduces important foraging resources.

Foraging habitat: Foraging behaviour

Birds may be seen alone or in pairs, crouching low to the ground. Their camouflage and shy behaviour make them difficult to detect while feeding.

• Use slow area searches and transects rather than relying on incidental observations from vehicles or site edges.
• Record birds running across tracks or roads, as these movements may provide useful detection points.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding occurs on the ground in forest or woodland with nearby cover. Nests are difficult to detect because the incubating bird is well camouflaged and the nest is placed among ground features.

Most breeding takes place from August to December, and a good season may allow up to three broods. For the Mt Lofty Ranges population, clutches are recorded from August to November, with most from October to November.

Breeding season: August to December generally; August to November for documented Mt Lofty Ranges clutches, with most from October to November.

Broods: Up to 3 broods in a good season.

Clutch size: 2 to 3 eggs.

Eggs: Creamy with small, colourful spots.

Incubation period: Not provided.

Age at maturity: Not provided.

Lifespan: Not provided.

• Treat suitable habitat as breeding habitat from August to December, with particular care from October to November for the Mt Lofty Ranges population.
• Avoid disturbing ground cover, fallen logs, stumps and rocks during the breeding period.

Breeding habitat: Nest habitat

The nest is an open cup made loosely from grass, leaves and bark. It is built on the ground and sheltered by a nearby fallen log, tree stump or rock.

• Retain ground-level cover and avoid driving, grading, slashing, piling materials or storing equipment beside logs, stumps and rocks during the breeding season.
• If a nest or incubating bird is found, stop work in the immediate area and obtain project-specific fauna management advice before proceeding.

Sheltering habitat: Ground refuges

Shelter is provided by dense or irregular ground features rather than tree hollows or burrows. The species relies on camouflage and low cover to avoid detection.

The supplied documents identify fallen logs, tree stumps, rocks, ground cover and short spiky grass clumps as important features. Fallen timber and ground cover are also identified as foraging and nesting resources.

• Retain fallen logs, stumps, rocks, leaf litter and suitable low ground cover within habitat to be cleared or retained.
• Do not remove firewood from reserves or retained woodland patches.
• Keep machinery, spoil, mulch and construction materials away from rocky ground and fallen timber where practicable.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter information gaps

No dimensions are provided for shelter sites, and the documents do not report use of hollows, burrows, dens, roost trees or communal refuges. The species is usually seen singly or in pairs and is probably sedentary or resident in the Mt Lofty Ranges.

Known shelter type: Ground cover near fallen logs, stumps and rocks.

Known shelter dimensions: Not provided.

Movement pattern: Probably sedentary or resident in the Mt Lofty Ranges.

• Use habitat structure and records of birds, calls and nests to guide site controls because a standard refuge size or clearance buffer is not provided in the supplied documents.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main project risks are loss and fragmentation of dry forest and woodland, removal of ground resources, direct disturbance to nests and increased access for predators. The species has disappeared from some suburban areas and is particularly sensitive to habitat fragmentation.

Clearing for rural residential development, grazing and agriculture has reduced the surrounding woodland and forest habitat. Fragmentation and a lack of forested areas safe from domestic predators are associated with local disappearance.

• Avoid clearing connected dry eucalypt forest and woodland, especially on stony ridges and slopes.
• Retain links between forest remnants and avoid narrowing habitat to isolated strips.
• Keep construction compounds, access tracks and laydown areas out of retained woodland and ground-structure habitat where practicable.

Threats: Ground-resource removal and fire

Removal of ground cover and fallen logs reduces foraging and nesting resources. Firewood collection is specifically identified as a threat. The supplied documents do not provide a fire-frequency or fire-season threshold for this species.

• Prohibit firewood collection from retained habitat and reserves.
• Avoid unnecessary removal of logs, stumps, rocks, leaf litter and low ground cover.
• Manage planned burning and intense construction-related disturbance in accordance with the relevant threatened-species and ecological-community requirements.

Threats: Predators, roads and disturbance

European Red Foxes and domestic dogs are identified as likely predators. The species has disappeared from suburbs, probably because fragmented habitat is not safe from wandering domestic dogs. The survey guidelines note that birds may run across vehicle tracks or roads, but they do not quantify road mortality.

• Keep domestic dogs out of retained habitat and enforce leash or exclusion controls around work areas.
• Control access by workers, visitors and vehicles through clearly marked tracks and exclusion zones.
• Use early morning area searches or transects before clearing in suitable habitat, because the species is shy and difficult to detect later in the day.

Threats: Other pressures

Weed infestation is identified as a threat to the woodland and forest habitat. The supplied documents do not identify disease or hydrology change as specific threats to this species.

• Prevent weed spread through vehicle, machinery and soil hygiene controls.
• Do not assume that an absence of sightings means that habitat is unoccupied.

Survey methodology: 1. Area searches and transects

Survey the Spotted Quailthrush as a shy, ground-dwelling bird of dry sclerophyll forest and woodland, particularly on stony ridges and slopes with sparse understorey and little ground cover. The published effort guide is for the Mt Lofty Ranges subspecies, which is Critically Endangered, but its survey methods and detection notes are relevant when suitable habitat for the species may be disturbed.

Use area searches or transect surveys in suitable habitat, covering the proposed disturbance area and nearby retained habitat.

For areas smaller than 50 ha, apply the guideline effort of 25 hours over 5 days.

Start searches early in the morning, when the birds are most likely to be detected.

Search on foot for birds running across tracks or roads, calling from low branches, or moving through leaf litter and ground cover.

Recommended method: Area searches or transect surveys

Guide effort for areas under 50 ha: 25 hours over 5 days

Best search period: Early morning

Detection methods: Calls and sightings

• Record the search area, transect locations, dates, start and finish times, weather, observers and habitat searched.
• Extend the search through adjacent retained forest or woodland where the project may affect movement between habitat patches.

Survey methodology: 2. Call detection and visual identification

Listen for the species' loud double whistle, described as 'whee-it', a 'wheet-wheet-wheet' sequence, or high twittering.

Use visual searches as well as call detection because the species is unobtrusive, shy and elusive, and its high-pitched call may be inaudible to some observers.

Treat a possible record cautiously and obtain a photograph, recording or independent confirmation where practicable, because the bird is easily missed and may be confused with an unconfirmed observation.

Typical social detection: Usually singly or in pairs

Key call descriptions: Loud double whistle, repeated whistle sequence, or high twittering

Identification: Distinctive across its range, but shy and difficult to detect

• Search slowly and quietly through likely ground habitat, including rocky ridges, stony slopes, short spiky grass clumps and areas near fallen logs, stumps or rocks.
• Record the direction of travel and the location of every detection so the observation can inform exclusion zones and work planning.

Survey methodology: 3. Timing and site conditions

Prioritise surveys early in the breeding season, when the guideline states detection is probably most effective.

Plan additional attention for the breeding period from August to November, with most clutches of the Mt Lofty Ranges subspecies recorded from October to November.

Avoid relying on a single visit, because the species is rare, unobtrusive and may be absent from detection during a short search period.

General breeding period reported in the species account: August to December

Mt Lofty Ranges subspecies breeding period in the guideline: August to November, with most clutches from October to November

Preferred habitat: Dry sclerophyll forest and woodland, usually on stony ridges and slopes with sparse understorey and sparse to no ground cover

• Document rain, wind, temperature, visibility, noise and other conditions that could affect call or visual detection.
• Do not treat a negative survey as evidence that suitable habitat is unoccupied where habitat is connected, structurally suitable or supports recent records.

Survey methodology: 4. Targeted habitat inspection

Map dry eucalypt forest and woodland, rocky ridges and slopes, short spiky grass clumps, fallen logs, stumps and rocks within and beside the disturbance footprint.

Inspect ground cover and fallen timber because clearing, removal of ground cover and removal of fallen logs are identified as limiting factors for the species.

Use the habitat map to identify connected retained areas that can support a bird moving away from machinery or being relocated during works.

Habitat structure to retain: Dry forest or woodland, stony ridges and slopes, sparse understorey, ground cover, fallen logs, stumps and rocks

Known movement pattern: Probably sedentary or resident for the Mt Lofty Ranges subspecies

Typical detection setting: On the ground, alone or in pairs

• Mark suitable habitat and any confirmed or probable detection locations in the project environmental constraints plan.
• Treat habitat in the Mt Lofty Ranges as a high-priority constraint because the subspecies is listed as Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

• Use the published minimum guide of 25 hours over 5 days for area searches or transects where the survey area is under 50 ha.
• Have an experienced ornithologist or suitably skilled ecologist review any possible record before clearing proceeds in suitable habitat.
• Submit confirmed and credible unconfirmed records to the relevant state wildlife database and retain the original coordinates, photographs, sound recordings and field notes.
• Report survey effort and results to the project environmental officer, including areas searched, habitat condition, detection constraints and any proposed additional controls.
• Check the current EPBC Act and state listing before relying on the survey guideline, because the guideline states that the EPBC threatened taxa list is dynamic.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Avoid clearing suitable Spotted Quailthrush habitat wherever practicable. The species depends on forest and woodland with intact ground structure, and the Mt Lofty Ranges subspecies has a very restricted, declining population with no confirmed recent sightings reported in the survey guideline.

• Retain dry eucalypt forest and woodland on rocky ridges and stony slopes within the project area wherever practicable.
• Retain sparse understorey, short spiky grass clumps, leaf litter, fallen logs, stumps and rocks because these provide the ground structure used by the species.
• Avoid fragmenting retained forest and woodland, and keep links between habitat patches wherever practicable.
• Keep machinery, laydown areas, access tracks, spoil and stockpiles out of retained habitat and out of areas identified during the targeted survey.
• Do not collect firewood from retained forest, reserves or national parks because removal of fallen timber reduces foraging and nesting resources.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

• Check whether the proposed action may affect the EPBC-listed taxon, including the Mt Lofty Ranges subspecies, and obtain project-specific environmental advice on whether an EPBC referral is required.
• Check South Australian and other relevant state or territory requirements, including threatened species permits, wildlife handling authorities and state wildlife database requirements.
• Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies suitable habitat, confirmed or probable detections, retained areas, work limits, fauna handling procedures, stop-work triggers and reporting responsibilities.
• Schedule survey and clearance planning around the breeding period, which is generally August to December in the species account and August to November for the Mt Lofty Ranges subspecies.
• Stage clearing so that retained habitat remains available while each work area is searched and cleared.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance controls

• Complete the targeted area searches or transects before clearing and map all suitable habitat and detections.
• Clearly mark no-go areas, retained woodland, rocky habitat, fallen logs and other features that must not be disturbed.
• Install exclusion fencing where it can keep machinery and workers out of retained habitat without blocking the bird's movement between retained areas.
• Brief all operators and subcontractors on the species' appearance, call, ground-dwelling behaviour, habitat features and stop-work procedure.
• Confirm that the fauna spotter catcher holds the required state or territory authority before any handling or relocation is planned.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and spotter catcher supervision

Keep clearing slow, supervised and limited to the approved footprint. The Spotted Quailthrush is shy, relies on camouflage and may remain on the ground until approached closely, so machinery must not work ahead of the fauna spotter catcher.

• Inspect exclusion fencing, no-go markers and the approved clearing boundary before work starts each day.
• Use a suitably authorised fauna spotter catcher in front of clearing machinery and maintain clear communication between the spotter, machine operator and supervisor.
• Clear in stages towards retained habitat where safe, giving birds a route away from machinery rather than surrounding or trapping them.
• Stop machinery immediately when the spotter catcher identifies a Spotted Quailthrush, probable nest, injured animal or unsafe fauna-handling condition.
• Keep workers, vehicles, dogs and other disturbance away from retained habitat and any location where a bird has been detected.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat features and ground disturbance

• Inspect fallen logs, stumps, rocks, leaf litter, short grass clumps and dense ground patches before they are moved or cleared.
• Do not move or remove habitat features unless they are within the approved footprint and the fauna spotter catcher has inspected them first.
• Search beneath and beside logs, stumps and rocks for a crouching or camouflaged bird before machinery enters the area.
• Where safe and authorised, retain suitable logs, rocks and other ground features in nearby retained habitat rather than disposing of them.
• Treat any open cup nest on the ground as a stop-work matter and obtain advice from the relevant wildlife authority before proceeding.

During habitat disturbance: If a bird is found

• Stop work and keep people and machinery still until the fauna spotter catcher assesses the bird and the immediate area.
• Do not chase, handle or restrain the bird unless the person is authorised under the relevant state or territory requirements and handling is necessary for its welfare or project safety.
• Allow an uninjured bird to move into nearby retained habitat where it can do so safely, and keep machinery out of its escape path.
• If capture or relocation is necessary, use only an authorised and suitably trained person, place the bird in nearby suitable retained habitat, and record the release location and time.
• Take an injured bird to a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer through the approved wildlife response pathway.
• Keep dogs and unapproved personnel away from the bird and do not attempt to keep it on site as a captive animal.

During habitat disturbance: Stop-work triggers and records

• Stop work in the immediate area for a confirmed or probable Spotted Quailthrush detection until the fauna spotter catcher and environmental officer agree on controls.
• Stop work if a nest, injured bird, trapped bird or previously unrecorded suitable habitat feature is found.
• Record the date, time, coordinates, species confidence, photographs or sound recording, habitat, activity, action taken, handler and release or treatment outcome.
• Escalate repeated detections, a bird unable to leave the work area, or any breach of the approved clearing boundary to the project environmental officer and the relevant wildlife authority.
• Do not resume work until the fauna spotter catcher confirms that the immediate area is clear and the revised control has been briefed to the crew.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance work must confirm that the approved footprint was respected and that retained habitat remains usable. Continue checks because this species is difficult to detect and may return to or move through retained forest and woodland.

• Complete a fauna spotter catcher inspection of the cleared area, retained edges and any moved logs or rocks before the area is released for construction.
• Check that no birds, nests, injured fauna or trapped animals remain in machinery routes, stockpiles, trenches, pipes or temporary fencing.
• Confirm that retained habitat, rocky features, fallen logs, stumps and ground cover shown on the environmental constraints plan remain undisturbed.
• Repair or replace exclusion fencing and no-go markers damaged during construction.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

• Monitor retained habitat using area searches or transects, with early morning call and visual searches where the project approval or fauna management plan requires monitoring.
• Use the guideline effort of 25 hours over 5 days for areas under 50 ha if a post-clearance survey is required and no project-specific approval sets a different effort.
• Compare post-clearance records with the pre-clearance habitat map and report any change in detections, habitat condition or connectivity.
• Submit confirmed records and credible observations to the relevant state wildlife database, and provide all required records to approval agencies.

After habitat disturbance: Ongoing controls and offsets

• Maintain no-go areas, fencing, weed controls and restrictions on firewood collection for the duration specified in the fauna management plan or approval.
• Prevent new fragmentation, unauthorised vehicle access, domestic dog access and storage of materials in retained habitat.
• Implement any approved offset or conservation measure for unavoidable impacts, with management actions targeted to dry forest and woodland, ground structure, connectivity and predator threats.
• Review monitoring results with the project environmental officer and change site controls if the retained habitat is degrading or detections decline.

Rehabilitation actions: Reinstate habitat structure

Rehabilitation should recreate the dry forest and woodland structure used by the Spotted Quailthrush, not just provide tree cover. Give priority to connected habitat with rocky ground, low understorey and retained ground resources.

Nest location: On the ground, sheltered by a fallen log, tree stump or rock

Nest materials: Grass, leaves and bark

Eggs: Two to three creamy eggs with small colourful spots

• Replant locally appropriate eucalypt woodland or forest species that match the surrounding dry sclerophyll community and site conditions.
• Restore rocky ridges and slopes where construction has altered them, using locally sourced rock where permitted and safe.
• Reinstate suitable fallen logs, stumps, leaf litter and short spiky grass clumps in retained or rehabilitated habitat.
• Do not over-mulch or densely revegetate the ground layer where the surrounding habitat has sparse understorey and sparse to no ground cover.
• Do not install nest boxes as a substitute for the species' ground nest habitat, because the species builds an open cup nest on the ground beside a log, stump or rock.

Rehabilitation actions: Weed, predator and fire management

• Control weed infestations that replace native ground structure or reduce access to foraging areas.
• Prevent domestic dogs from entering retained and rehabilitated habitat by using project access controls, signage or fencing where appropriate.
• Manage fox and dog risks through approved pest and domestic animal controls, recognising that ground-dwelling birds are vulnerable to these predators.
• Develop fire management with the land manager so that rehabilitation retains suitable ground structure and avoids unnecessary loss of logs, stumps and cover.

Rehabilitation actions: Success measures and monitoring

Reported breeding period for rehabilitation monitoring: August to December for the species account, with August to November for the Mt Lofty Ranges subspecies

Preferred rehabilitation setting: Connected dry eucalypt forest or woodland on stony ridges and slopes

• Monitor plant survival, weed cover, ground cover, fallen timber, rock retention and connectivity between rehabilitated and retained woodland.
• Use early morning area searches or transects to check for calls, sightings, tracks across vehicle routes and movement through rehabilitated habitat.
• Set success measures in the rehabilitation plan for establishment of locally appropriate woodland, retention of ground habitat features, weed reduction and protection from dogs and foxes.
• Continue monitoring through the relevant breeding period, including August to November for the Mt Lofty Ranges subspecies, and report any detections to the relevant state wildlife database.

Sources

• ABBBS Recommended Band Size List, Australian Government DCCEEW: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/band-size-list-may-2018.pdf
• Cinclosoma punctatum ( ), keyserver.lucidcentral.org: https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Cinclosoma_punctatum.htm
• Survey guidelines for Australia's threatened birds, Australian Government DCCEEW: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/survey-guidelines-birds-april-2017.pdf