Sandstone Shrikethrush (Colluricincla woodwardi) inhabits cliffs, gorges, boulder-strewn ridges, and crevices. John Thomas Tunney discovered the bird on the Arnhem Land escarpment in 1902. A Sandstone Shrike-thrush has successfully carved out its niche in a group of birds that mostly live in trees.
Foraging among the rocks, diving into caves when disturbed, singing from cliff tops and pinnacles, and nesting on sheltered rock ledges, it nests among the rocks. When disturbed or singing, the birds occasionally fly up into trees to perch or perch.
Sandstone Shrike-thrushes are sedentary, established pairs seeming to hold too much of the same large territory year-round. Photo Credit – ebird
Sandstone Shrike-thrushes are sedentary, established pairs that occupy the same large territory all year long. Each bird in a pair maintains contact with the other with single whistles as they forage alone or in tandem.
As they hop along rock faces, they poke their heads into nooks and crannies. After that, they fly in shallow, swooping glides to the next feeding point. Insects, especially grasshoppers, and spiders, make up most of the food they consume.
Breeding occurs in dispersed territories. Throughout the year, they sing sporadically in the early morning, but during breeding, their songs are prolonged. As a result of the rocky environment, their liquid bell-like vocalizations are richer and more elaborate than those of other shrike-thrushes.
There are several names for this bird, including Brown-breasted Shrike-thrush, Woodward’s Shrike-thrush, Sandstone Thrush, and Rock Thrush.
Sandstone Shrikethrushes measure about 250mm in length. The Males and females are similar, although slender and with longer tails than Grey Shrikethrushes. Dark grey-brown is the color of the crown, with sepia-brown being the color of the back, wings, and tail.It is for this reason that the cheeks and throat on the face are buff-white.
On the underside, there are dull rufous underwings and faint brown streaks on the throat and breast. A male has ruby-colored eyes and a black bill, while a female has a mid-grey-brown bill. Dark brown, however, is the color of the feet. In immature birds, the wings are darker and the breasts are more subdued; the eyes are browner.
The song of Sandstone Shrikethrush is two quickly repeated strong clear whistles, usually followed by a varied series of rich, flute-like whistles that resound through sandstone gorges. Photo Credit –Birdfourm
Sandstone Shrikethrush calls with a metallic twink that is very clear, and very strident. Two quickly repeated strong whistles reverberate through sandstone gorges as Sandstone Shrikethrushes sing, usually followed by a varied series of rich, flute-like whistles. Nesting and breeding season lasts from November to January.
An untidy cup-shaped nest is built by Sandstone Shrikethrushes out of reddish-brown roots of Spimfex Triodia and bark strips. It is found on sandstone cliffs or under overhanging rocks. Nests are usually found in cracks or holes.
There are normally two or three eggs laid by the bird, which are pearly white with well-defined brown-black and brown and slate-grey spots. There are large, sparse eggs, mostly at the larger end; they are oval in shape, about 30 mm x 22 mm in size. Approximately 16 days are required for incubation.
Kimberley area sandstone cliffs from Fitzroy River to Kununurra; lower Victoria River, NT; Arnhem Land, from King River to South Alligator and Mary Rivers, NT; and southeast on sub-coastal outcrops around the western Gulf of Carpentaria until the Nicholson River area on Queensland’s border with the Northern Territory.
