Bassian thrush

Zoothera lunulata

Photo by J.J. Harrison (Wikipedia)

Common name:
Bassian thrush (en); tordo-de-meias-luas (pt); grive à lunules (fr); zorzal lunado (es); Tasmanerddrossel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Turdidae

Range:
This species is found in Tasmania and south-eastern Australia, from south-eastern South Australia to south-eastern Queensland. There is a separate population in the Atherton Tablelands of northern Queensland.

Size:
These birds are 27-29 cm long and weigh 100 g.

Habitat:
The Bassian thrush is mostly found in dense, moist tropical forests and temperate forests, particularly in gullies. They also use plantations. This species is present at altitudes of 700-1.050 m.

Diet:
They forage on the ground, searching for small invertebrates among the leaf litter.

Breeding:
Bassian thrushes breed in June-April. The nest is a deep, untidy cup made of shredded bark and grass. It is placed in a major fork in a tree or in a depression in a stump, up to 15 m above the ground. The female lays 2-3 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 14 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and the population was estimated at 12.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and degradation, but the Bassian thrush is not considered threatened at present.