Animalia Life
Orthonyx spaldingii
TAXONOMY
Orthonix spaldingii Ramsay, 1868, Rockingham Bay, Queensland,
Australia. Three subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Northern logrunner; French: Orthonyx de Spalding;
German: Schwarzkopfflцter; Spanish: Corretroncos de Spalding.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
11–11.8 in (28–30 cm); female 0.25–0.32 lb (113–144 g), male
0.33–0.47 lb (150–213 g). Dark brown upperparts; breast is
white in males and
orange-brown in females.
Thin white
eye ring.
DISTRIBUTION
O. s. spaldingii:
northeastern Australia;
O. s. melasmenus:
northeastern
Australia, north of
O. s. spaldingii. Generally
above 1,470 ft
(450 m), locally in
lowlands with highest
rainfall.
HABITAT
Rainforest.
BEHAVIOR
Territorial at all seasons, often living in family parties. Highly
terrestrial. Often shy, but may be confiding when feeding.
Generally unobtrusive except when calling. Loud, ringing
“chow chowchilla chowry chook
chook” or “chow chilla chow chow chilla”; also other growls,
chucks.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Forages by vigorous scratching, excavating shallow depressions
in ground. Eats insects and other terrestrial invertebrates; occasionally
seeds.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Breeds almost year round, mainly April to August; one or two
broods reared per season. Female lays a single white egg and is
responsible for construction of nest, incubation of eggs, and
care of nestlings. Male provisions female during activities. Nest
is a dome of sticks, twigs, and moss, side entrance hooded by
moss, platform of sticks leading to entrance; on or near ground
in clump of vegetation. Incubation, 25 days; fledging 22–27
days.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. Although some reduction of range has occurred
through habitat loss, this species is still common.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.