Zoothera (thrush) at Redwood Park

Provided flooding rains don't spoil the party again, only slackness will prevent us nailing 230+ species this year.

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Michael Wood
Posts: 272
Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:50 am

Zoothera (thrush) at Redwood Park

Post by Michael Wood »

Today there was a Zoothera spp. seen on the northern rise of the Ferny Gully, in the vicinity of where the remaining piece of boardwalk is still in place. It was disturbed from feeding by the side of the track and then disappeared further into the undergrowth. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a good enough look at it to obtain identification, despite a further stake-out.

Other good birds were a Powerful Owl (Ferny Gully), two Spectacled Monarch and a handful of Rufous Fantail. There was also a Buff-banded Rail just downhill of the Bridge Street entrance
Michael Wood
Bill Jolly
Posts: 352
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:57 am
Location: Lockyer Valley

Zoothera in Redwood Park

Post by Bill Jolly »

Great sighting Michael!

I note that Pat's Redwood book refers only to Bassian, (Z. lunulata), but the club list includes only Russet-tailed, (Z. heinei).

Of course in the club's early days there was thought to be only one Zoothera Australia-wide, and I don't know if anyone has positively id'd lunulata over heinei locally.

The trouble is that Redwood is right in that overlap zone between 500m and 750m altitude where both can occur, theoretically.

I'd be keen to know if anyone has positive records locally of one or the other.

Either way, it's still great to have a sighting again!

Bill
Michael Wood
Posts: 272
Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:50 am

Zoothera in Redwood Park

Post by Michael Wood »

Thanks, Bill. It was quite exciting at the time.

If only I had a better than 3/4 frontal view, for I was unable to see the rump. Also, there was twigs and leaf material obstructing a view of the tail. No matter, a Powerful Owl moments later was more than worthy consolation.

Worth a "chase-up", I'd say.
Michael Wood
Pat McConnell
Posts: 162
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:42 pm

Russet-tailed Thrush

Post by Pat McConnell »

Hello Michael and Bill. Great sighting Michael. That is one of the least recorded species in the local study area. I have a feeling that the thrush in Redwood would most likely be Russet-tailed Thrush (Zoothera heinei) but it is hard to be certain. Mick's original description, if my memory serves me right, was more like heinei than lanulata. I think that I probably got it wrong in my checklist of The Birds of Redwood Park.
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