A quail-thrush is a bird of the genus Cinclosoma, which contains eight species. Quail-thrushes are in a different family from either quails or thrushes, but bear some superficial resemblance to them. The genus is found in Australia and New Guinea in a variety of habitats ranging from rainforest to deserts. The genus is closely related to the jewel-babblers of New Guinea. Seven species were recognised in 2007.[2] A molecular study published in 2015 by Gaynor Dolman and Leo Joseph resulted in the splitting of the chestnut-backed quail-thrush into the chestnut quail-thrush of eastern Australia and the copperback quail-thrush in the west.[3]

Cinclosoma
Chestnut quail-thrush (Cinclosoma castanotum)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cinclosomatidae
Genus: Cinclosoma
Vigors & Horsfield, 1827
Type species
Turdus punctatus[1]
Shaw, 1794

Species edit

 
Nest of Cinclosoma marginatum photographed by Whitlock, East Murchison 1909
Image Common Name Scientific name Distribution
Painted quail-thrush Cinclosoma ajax New Guinea.
  Spotted quail-thrush Cinclosoma punctatum Australia.
Copperback quail-thrush Cinclosoma clarum Australia.
  Chestnut quail-thrush Cinclosoma castanotum Australia
  Chestnut-breasted quail-thrush Cinclosoma castaneothorax Australia (New South Wales, Queensland and Perth.)
Western quail-thrush Cinclosoma marginatum Australia.
Nullarbor quail-thrush Cinclosoma alisteri Nullarbor Plain in southern Australia
  Cinnamon quail-thrush Cinclosoma cinnamomeum central Australia

References edit

  1. ^ "Cinclosomatidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  2. ^ Toon, Alicia; Austin, Jeremy J.; Dolman, Gaynor; Pedler, Lynn; Joseph, Leo (2012). "Evolution of arid zone birds in Australia: Leapfrog distribution patterns and mesic-arid connections in quail-thrush (Cinclosoma, Cinclosomatidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 62 (1): 286–95. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.09.026. PMID 22040766.
  3. ^ Dolman, Gaynor; Joseph, Leo (2015). "Evolutionary history of birds across southern Australia: structure, history and taxonomic implications of mitochondrial DNA diversity in an ecologically diverse suite of species". Emu. 115 (1): 35–48. doi:10.1071/MU14047.