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Photo: Devon Pike - Devonpike / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Sooty Shrikethrush

Colluricincla tenebrosa

Sooty Shrikethrush (Colluricincla tenebrosa) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.

The Sooty Shrikethrush (Colluricincla tenebrosa) is a member of the Pachycephalidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 46 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Pachycephalidae Whistlers & Allies
  4. Genus Colluricincla
  5. Species tenebrosa

Where it lives

Montane west-central to east-central New Guinea

Quick facts

Weight
46 g
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Sooty Shrikethrush is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Sooty Shrikethrush is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Sooty Shrikethrush (Colluricincla tenebrosa) belongs to the Pachycephalidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU montane wc to ec New Guinea.

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 46 g, with a wing length of about 9.6 cm and a tail of around 7.6 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 41,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.

Songs & calls

Sooty Shrikethrush — Song?

Recorded by Iain Woxvold Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Sooty Shrikethrush?

The Sooty Shrikethrush is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 46 g.

Where does the Sooty Shrikethrush live?

The Sooty Shrikethrush is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU montane wc to ec New Guinea, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Sooty Shrikethrush belong to?

The Sooty Shrikethrush (Colluricincla tenebrosa) belongs to the Pachycephalidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Sooty Shrikethrush eat?

The Sooty Shrikethrush is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Sooty Shrikethrush migrate?

The Sooty Shrikethrush is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Sooty Shrikethrush endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Sooty Shrikethrush make?

1 real field recording of the Sooty Shrikethrush — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Sooty Shrikethrush's range?

The Sooty Shrikethrush has a mapped global range of about 41,000 km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

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