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Western Quailthrush (Cinclosoma marginatum)

The Western Quail-thrush is a terrestrial Australian songbird of arid and semi-arid western inland areas. It uses dry woodland and shrubland with low understorey on stony ground, so clearing, earthworks and vehicle access through these habitats can remove or disturb suitable habitat on project sites.

Conservation status

Northern Territory, Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976: Near threatened.

Breeding season

The supplied documents do not establish a breeding, nesting or dispersal calendar for the Western Quail-thrush. Records show birds present in Western Australia in March, April, June and August, but these observations do not define migration or breeding periods.

Recorded birds include singing individuals in March, April and August, and a call record in June. These records support year-round assessment of suitable habitat but do not establish a breeding season.

  • Movement or dispersal: Records demonstrate presence in March, April, June and August in Western Australia. They do not establish seasonal movement or migration.

Identification

The Western Quail-thrush is a medium-sized, ground-dwelling songbird that moves quietly through dry shrubland and woodland. Identification should combine plumage, habitat, behaviour and calls because it can be difficult to detect when it remains on the ground.

Quail-thrushes are generally brown above, with camouflage matching the soil, and are more strongly marked with black and white below. They have strong legs and bills, and commonly squat or run rather than fly when disturbed.

The species-specific plumage description, weight and measurements are not provided in the supplied documents.

Family group length: 17 to 28 cm

Flight behaviour: Generally weak flight; often runs or squats when disturbed

Identification: Similar taxa and field separation

Taxonomic treatments have variously treated the Western Quail-thrush as a full species or as a subspecies within the Cinclosoma castaneothorax or Cinclosoma marginatum complex. Older checklists also used names including Cinclosoma castaneothorax marginatum and Cinclosoma cinnamomeum marginatum.

The main identification issue is therefore likely to be confusion with closely related quail-thrush taxa rather than with a different bird family. A confirmed identification should record the habitat, plumage pattern, behaviour and call, and retain a photograph or sound recording where possible.

Subspecies: Monotypic in the Birds of the World account

Sex differences: Not described in the supplied species account

Identification: Calls and field signs

Males give a clear song from a perch about 1 to 2 m above the ground. A recorded female gave a short, high-pitched tseep while on the ground nearby.

Recorded songs include both high and low notes in each phrase. The species is otherwise likely to be detected by quiet movement through ground cover rather than by conspicuous flight.

No species-specific information is provided on tracks, scats, nest dimensions, eggs, eyeshine or other diagnostic field signs.

Recorded singing time: Examples include 06:00 to 08:30

Recorded song perch: About 1 to 2 m above ground

  • Listen from the edge of dry acacia shrubland, woodland and stony hillslopes, particularly during quiet morning conditions.
  • Use a directional microphone or audio recorder where calling birds cannot be approached without flushing them.
  • Treat an isolated call as provisional unless the recording quality and habitat support the identification.

Distribution: Documented range

The supplied material places the Western Quail-thrush in arid inland and western Australia. Distribution information is not detailed enough to define a complete state or bioregional range.

The species is reported from arid inland areas of western Australia, including western and south-central parts of the country. The available records supplied here are from Western Australia.

The documents do not provide a verified state-by-state range or named bioregions. They also do not identify population boundaries, strongholds or subpopulations.

  • Western Australia: documented records include Cosmo Newbery in the Shire of Laverton, Daggar Hills in the Shire of Mount Magnet, Capricorn in the Shire of Meekatharra and Ularring.
  • Northern Territory: the species is listed as Near Threatened in the supplied project information, but the documents do not give NT locality or bioregion records.

Distribution: Population information

No population estimate, density, trend, home-range size or generation length is provided. Available online records include 518 eBird observations, but this is an observation count and not a population estimate.

Population size: Not reported

Population trend: Not reported

eBird observations in the supplied account: 518

Habitat: Habitat types

The Western Quail-thrush is associated with dry, open vegetation in arid and semi-arid parts of western Australia. Retaining connected patches of low shrubland, woodland and stony ground is relevant when planning clearing and access routes.

Reported habitat includes dry woodland and shrubland with a low understorey on stony ground. The species is associated with arid or semi-arid conditions and with open, dry inland vegetation.

A field record came from open acacia grassy woodland near a dry creekbed. Another record described moderately dense, low to medium acacia shrubland on a stony hillslope with little understorey.

Climate: Arid and semi-arid

Ground: Stony ground, including stony hillslopes

Vegetation examples: Dry woodland, acacia shrubland and open acacia grassy woodland

Habitat: Structural features

Important structural features include low shrub cover, open ground between shrubs, and a litter or stony surface suitable for a ground-foraging bird. Bare or lightly vegetated perches may also be used for singing.

The supplied documents do not give minimum patch size, canopy height, shrub density or elevation limits.

  • Map and retain dry shrubland, low woodland understorey, stony hillslopes and dry creekbed margins before clearing.
  • Avoid assuming that sparsely vegetated stony areas are of low fauna value.
  • Inspect both the ground layer and low trees because the species forages on the ground but males may sing from low perches.

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding method

The Western Quail-thrush forages on the ground in dry woodland, shrubland and stony habitats. It is likely to be missed during rapid searches because quail-thrushes move quietly and generally fly weakly.

Quail-thrushes feed mainly on insects and other invertebrates. In desert habitats they also eat some seeds.

The species is terrestrial and forages on the ground, where it can move quickly and quietly through low vegetation and across stony surfaces. No species-specific prey list or feeding rate is provided.

Main food: Insects and other invertebrates

Additional food: Some seeds in desert habitats

Foraging range: Not reported

  • Search the ground layer beneath and between shrubs, including stony surfaces and areas of sparse understorey.
  • Keep observers and vehicles slow and quiet where suitable habitat is present, because birds may run or squat rather than fly.
  • Retain low shrub cover and ground litter where practicable, as these features provide the reported foraging setting.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Species-specific breeding information for the Western Quail-thrush is limited in the supplied documents. General quail-thrush information indicates that breeding can occur in or immediately above the ground layer within shrub cover.

The supplied sources do not state the Western Quail-thrush breeding season, incubation period, age at maturity, lifespan or nest success. General information for quail-thrushes describes a cup-shaped nest among shrubs or on the ground and two or three eggs.

Breeding season: Not reported for this species

Clutch size: Two or three eggs for quail-thrushes generally; species-specific confirmation is not provided

Incubation: Not reported

Age at maturity: Not reported

Lifespan: Not reported

Nest type: Cup-shaped nest among shrubs or on the ground, based on general quail-thrush information

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Potential breeding habitat includes low shrubs and sheltered ground within dry woodland or shrubland on stony ground. Because nests may be on the ground, clearing, grading, slashing and vehicle movement can affect nests or dependent young if breeding is occurring.

No nest placement distance, nest height, shrub size or territory size is provided.

  • Have fauna spotters inspect low shrubs, ground cover and sheltered ground before disturbance.
  • Keep machinery and vehicle routes out of retained shrub patches and likely nest sites where practicable.
  • If an active nest is found, stop work around the nest and follow the applicable approval and fauna handling procedures.

Sheltering habitat: Likely shelter features

The Western Quail-thrush is a ground-dwelling bird that uses low vegetation and ground cover within dry woodland and shrubland. The supplied documents do not describe specific roosts, burrows, hollows or refuge dimensions.

Reported habitat includes low understorey, acacia shrubland, dry woodland and stony ground. These features can provide concealment for a bird that commonly runs or squats when disturbed.

The species group is described as moving swiftly and quietly through undergrowth. No species-specific refuge size, roost height or cover threshold is provided.

  • Retain connected patches of low shrubs and ground cover within work areas and along access margins.
  • Inspect beneath shrubs and around rocks or other ground cover before clearing.
  • Do not rely on flight responses alone to detect birds during pre-clearing searches.

Sheltering habitat: Nests and other shelter sites

General quail-thrush information describes cup-shaped nests among shrubs or on the ground. No information is supplied on hollows, burrows, roost trees, dens, track dimensions or eyeshine.

Nest location: Among shrubs or on the ground, based on general quail-thrush information

Shelter size: Not reported

Threats: Clearing and construction

The supplied documents do not provide a species-specific threat assessment. For project planning, the main direct risk indicated by the species' habitat and ground-dwelling behaviour is removal or disturbance of dry woodland, shrubland, low understorey and stony ground.

Clearing dry woodland, acacia shrubland, low understorey or stony hillslopes can remove habitat used for feeding, shelter and potentially ground nesting. Grading, trenching and vehicle movements can also disturb birds that run or squat instead of flying.

Fragmentation effects, minimum viable patch size and tolerance of infrastructure are not reported in the supplied documents.

  • Avoid clearing suitable habitat where practicable, especially connected shrub patches and stony ground.
  • Complete searches before clearing and keep fauna spotters focused on the ground layer as well as low shrubs.
  • Use defined access tracks and exclusion zones to limit repeated vehicle disturbance.

Threats: Fire, predators and other pressures

The supplied documents do not identify fire regime, introduced predators, disease or hydrology change as confirmed species-specific threats. They also do not provide evidence on road mortality, nest predation or population response to altered drainage.

Changes to dry creekbed margins or local surface water movement should still be assessed where they alter the dry woodland and shrubland habitat documented for the species.

  • Record and protect retained habitat near dry creekbeds, drainage lines and stony slopes during earthworks.
  • Do not infer that a site is unused from a lack of visual detections, because the species is quiet and ground dwelling.
  • Refer any proposed fire, predator control or hydrology management action to the relevant approval and ecological assessment process.

Survey methodology: 1. Diurnal habitat and ground searches

Survey the Western Quail-thrush in its preferred arid and semi-arid habitat, particularly dry woodland or shrubland with a low understorey and stony ground. It is a ground-dwelling bird that can squat or run rather than fly when disturbed, so searches must cover the ground and low vegetation as well as listening for calls.

Inspect all proposed disturbance areas for dry woodland, acacia shrubland, open scrub, stony hillslopes, rocky ground and dry creekline vegetation.

Walk the full disturbance footprint and nearby retained habitat where access is safe, recording birds, tracks, calls, likely shelter sites and habitat continuity.

Use slow searches through low vegetation and around rocks, logs and shrub bases because the species is terrestrial and may run or squat when approached.

Typical habitat: Dry woodland or shrubland with low understorey on stony ground in arid or semi-arid areas.

Body length for the family: Quail-thrushes are generally 17 to 28 cm long.

  • Record the date, start and finish time, weather, observers, transect length, area searched and visibility.
  • Map each observation and describe the vegetation structure, ground surface and connection to retained habitat.
  • Do not treat an absence during a single daytime search as evidence that the species is absent.

Survey methodology: 2. Call playback and acoustic searches

Use targeted listening and call playback only where it is permitted under the project approval and relevant state guidance.

Survey around dawn and in calm conditions, when the species is more likely to call and background noise is lower.

Use known Western Quail-thrush recordings as the reference for call identification, and record any response, direction and estimated distance.

Available acoustic records: The supplied xeno-canto source lists 13 foreground recordings with a total duration of 9 minutes 21 seconds.

Recorded call types: The available recordings include calls and songs.

  • Avoid repeated or prolonged playback that could disrupt territorial behaviour or attract birds towards machinery and clearing.
  • Stop playback if a bird responds, approaches, shows signs of distress or is located.
  • Use passive acoustic recording where practical in remote areas or where repeated observer presence would disturb the site.

Survey methodology: 3. Dawn and dusk observation

Undertake quiet observation during the first hours after dawn and, where required, before dusk, concentrating on stony ground, shrub margins, dry creekbeds and open acacia woodland.

Use binoculars and remain stationary where possible, because the species is a ground-dwelling bird that may move quietly through the understorey.

Record birds seen, birds heard, direction of movement, habitat used and whether the bird enters retained vegetation.

Documented recording times: The supplied recordings were made between 06:00 and 11:00.

Documented recording elevations: The supplied recordings were made at elevations from 360 to 650 m.

  • Give priority to calm, dry conditions with good visibility and avoid surveying during strong wind, heavy rain or other conditions that reduce detectability.
  • Use the same route and observation points on repeat visits so results can be compared.
  • Treat a call-only record as a confirmed detection only when the call identification is reliable and is documented with a recording or clear field notes.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Prepare a survey design that covers every habitat patch within and immediately adjoining the disturbance area, with repeat visits where the first visit has poor visibility or unsuitable weather.
  • Use the project approval, the relevant state survey guidance and the advice of the state wildlife agency to set the final number of visits, transect length, acoustic deployment period and any trapping effort.
  • Do not use cage trapping or mist-netting solely to confirm this species unless it is specifically justified, approved and supervised by appropriately authorised personnel.
  • Report all confirmed records, including reliable call-only records, to the relevant state wildlife database and provide coordinates, date, observer, survey method, habitat description and evidence.
  • Submit photographs or sound files with records where available, and retain the original field data with the project environmental records.
  • Report the species under the current accepted name, Western Quail-thrush, Cinclosoma marginatum, while noting that some taxonomic sources have treated it as a subspecies of the Cinclosoma castaneothorax group.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Plan the work around the species' use of dry, stony woodland and shrubland. The supplied material does not provide a species-specific breeding calendar, nest description or clearance buffer, so apply the current state requirements and a site-specific ecological risk assessment.

  • Redesign access tracks, compounds and work areas to retain the largest practical areas of dry woodland, acacia shrubland, low understorey and stony ground.
  • Retain connected strips between habitat patches so birds can move through the site without crossing active work areas.
  • Avoid unnecessary removal of shrubs, ground cover, rocks, logs and other cover used by a ground-dwelling bird.
  • Keep retained habitat outside the clearing footprint and protect it from vehicle movement, spoil, laydown, dust, runoff, weeds and fire.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

  • Confirm the current EPBC Act status before works begin and obtain project-specific advice if the survey identifies a nationally listed species or another protected matter.
  • Check the relevant state or territory requirements because the species is identified in the project information as Near Threatened in the Northern Territory.
  • Obtain any required scientific, wildlife handling, animal ethics or rehabilitation permits before trapping, handling, capture or relocation.
  • Schedule clearing outside periods of highest fauna activity where this can be supported by the state regulator and the site assessment, noting that no species-specific breeding season is provided in the supplied documents.
  • Stage clearing so that retained habitat remains available while each work area is completed and checked.

Before habitat disturbance: Prepare the site

  • Complete a pre-clearance survey immediately before works, using a suitably qualified ecologist and fauna spotter catcher where required by the approval.
  • Mark the approved clearing boundary and all retained habitat on the ground and in the site plans.
  • Mark records, shelter features and movement routes that require protection, including dense shrubs, stony patches, logs and rocky cover.
  • Install exclusion fencing where it will prevent entry into retained habitat, and inspect the fencing after vehicle movements, rain and maintenance work.
  • Brief operators on the species' appearance, ground-dwelling behaviour, stop-work procedure and the location of exclusion zones.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery coordination

Use controlled, progressive clearing with a fauna spotter catcher present whenever the approved method requires it. The main operational risk is overlooking a bird moving quietly through low vegetation or stony ground.

  • Inspect the work area each day before machinery enters and confirm that the clearing limits, exclusion fencing and fauna controls remain in place.
  • Clear progressively in small work areas so the spotter catcher can inspect vegetation, ground cover and escape routes before machinery advances.
  • Keep machinery stopped while the spotter catcher checks dense shrubs, rocky ground, logs and other cover immediately ahead of the clearing face.
  • Use a dedicated communication method between the spotter catcher, supervisor and operators, with a clearly understood stop signal.
  • Do not allow machinery, vehicles or workers to enter retained habitat without approval from the environmental representative.

During habitat disturbance: Handling habitat features

  • Inspect rocks, logs, dense shrubs and ground debris before they are moved because these features can provide cover for a terrestrial bird.
  • Move salvageable logs, rocks and coarse woody material to nearby retained habitat only where the receiving area is approved and the move can be completed safely.
  • Do not burn, chip or bury habitat features before the fauna spotter catcher has checked them.
  • Treat any nest, eggs, dependent young or occupied shelter as a stop-work matter and obtain advice from the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist before proceeding.
  • Apply separate approved procedures for hollow-bearing trees, burrows and other fauna habitat features if they are present, even though the supplied documents do not identify these as specific Western Quail-thrush requirements.

During habitat disturbance: Animal encounter and stop-work response

  • Stop machinery and people movement when a Western Quail-thrush is seen, heard at close range or located within the active work area.
  • Keep workers and vehicles back and allow the bird a clear route to nearby retained habitat whenever it can leave without handling.
  • Only an appropriately authorised person may capture, handle or relocate the bird.
  • Relocate a healthy bird only when necessary, using the approved fauna management plan and nearby suitable retained habitat connected to the occupied area.
  • Place an injured or exhausted bird in a secure, ventilated container and arrange prompt assessment by an appropriately qualified wildlife carer or veterinarian under the project procedure.
  • Stop work and contact the environmental representative if the bird cannot leave safely, if dependent young are suspected, if a nest is found, or if repeated birds are encountered in the clearing zone.
  • Resume work only after the fauna spotter catcher or project ecologist has confirmed that the animal has left or that an approved response is in place.

During habitat disturbance: Records and incident reporting

  • Record every sighting, call, capture, relocation, injury, mortality and stop-work event on the day it occurs.
  • Record the location, time, weather, habitat, activity, people involved, action taken and outcome for each encounter.
  • Photograph the habitat and retain sound recordings where this can be done without delaying the response or disturbing the bird.
  • Notify the project environmental officer and regulator when required by the approval, fauna management plan or incident procedure.
  • Update the project species register and submit confirmed records to the relevant state wildlife database.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance work should confirm that no fauna remains in the completed area, that retained habitat is intact and that controls have not failed. Use the results to adjust later clearing stages and rehabilitation.

  • Walk the cleared area after machinery leaves and inspect shrub bases, rocky ground, logs, debris and the edges of retained habitat for birds, nests, injured animals and carcasses.
  • Complete a final inspection before the area is released for construction, trenching, stockpiling or vehicle use.
  • Check that exclusion fencing, signage and retained habitat boundaries remain intact after clearance.
  • Record any Western Quail-thrush still using the site and prevent follow-on works from isolating or injuring the bird.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and adaptive management

  • Repeat targeted searches or acoustic monitoring in retained habitat where the species was detected before clearance or where the project may have reduced habitat connectivity.
  • Use the same observation points, routes and recording approach where possible so post-work results can be compared with baseline records.
  • Increase monitoring or pause the next clearing stage if birds continue to use the work edge, if repeated encounters occur or if retained habitat is being damaged.
  • Inspect rehabilitation and retained habitat after major rainfall, fire, weed treatment, erosion or other events that may remove ground cover.

After habitat disturbance: Reporting and offsets

  • Provide the approval authority and project environmental officer with the final survey, clearance, encounter, injury, mortality and rehabilitation records.
  • Submit verified occurrence records to the relevant state wildlife database and include the evidence supporting each record.
  • Assess offsets or compensatory habitat measures if required by the approval, state policy or residual impact assessment.
  • Do not count an offset as a substitute for avoiding and minimising removal of occupied or connected habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Re-establish habitat structure

Rehabilitation should recreate the dry, open woodland or shrubland structure and stony ground used by the species. The supplied documents do not identify preferred plant species, nest boxes or a species-specific fire regime, so use locally native reference vegetation and the applicable regional rehabilitation standard.

  • Use locally native plant species taken from the approved regional reference community, with emphasis on the shrubs, small trees and ground cover present in nearby occupied habitat.
  • Recreate a low, open understorey rather than establishing dense grass or a closed planting block where the reference site is open woodland or shrubland.
  • Retain or reinstate suitable stony ground and natural surface structure instead of covering the site with uniform imported soil or mulch.
  • Replace salvaged logs, rocks and coarse woody material in irregular patches that provide ground-level cover without blocking movement.
  • Do not install nest boxes unless monitoring demonstrates a relevant shortage and the project ecologist identifies a justified target species, because the supplied documents do not identify nest boxes as a Western Quail-thrush requirement.

Rehabilitation actions: Fire, weeds and predators

  • Prepare a site-specific fire management approach that protects regenerating shrubs, retains appropriate ground cover and follows the regional fire regime for the reference community.
  • Control weeds before they dominate the low understorey or alter the open, stony habitat structure.
  • Prevent soil movement, uncontrolled vehicle access, rubbish accumulation and new drainage that could degrade retained or rehabilitated habitat.
  • Manage introduced predators and domestic animals where they are identified as a project risk, using approved methods and avoiding harm to native fauna.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

  • Monitor plant survival, native regeneration, weed cover, ground structure, erosion and connectivity with retained habitat.
  • Use repeat bird searches and, where appropriate, passive acoustic monitoring to test whether Western Quail-thrushes return to or continue using the rehabilitated area.
  • Compare monitoring results with nearby retained reference habitat and record the same survey conditions, effort and detection evidence on each visit.
  • Set project-specific completion criteria with the regulator, because the supplied documents provide no species-specific rehabilitation targets or monitoring period.
  • Repair failed plantings, erosion, fencing, drainage or habitat features when monitoring shows that the site is not developing towards the approved reference condition.

Sources