Chowchilla
Orthonyx spaldingii
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyOrthonychidae (Logrunners)
- GenusOrthonyx (Logrunners)
- SpeciesOrthonyx spaldingii (Chowchilla)
About the Chowchilla
The chowchilla (Orthonyx spaldingii) is a passerine bird in the family Orthonychidae. It is endemic to Australia. In their 1999 study, Schodde and Mason recognise two adjoining subspecies, O. s. spaldingii and O. s. melasmenus with a zone of intergradation.
Unmistakable thrush-like, ground-dwelling, birds. 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.
The chowchilla is restricted to upland and lowland tropical rainforests of north-eastern Queensland. Mainly invertebrates, but also small vertebrates. Continuous chattering, singing and other complex vocalisations. Nests on or near ground, often on ferns, stumps or logs. Builds a bulky, dome-shaped stick-nest with a clutch of one, possibly sometimes two, white eggs.
BirdLife International. (2007). Species factsheet: Orthonyx spaldingii. Downloaded from [1] on 9 August 2007 Higgins, P.J.; & Peter... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Chowchilla in Daintree National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Daintree National Park
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Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Chowchilla in Daintree National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Chowchilla sighting in Daintree National Park, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Chowchilla in Daintree National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Chowchilla in Daintree National Park in our monthly data.