Chestnut Quail-thrush

1. Males: Deep chestnut back and rump, black throat and breast, white underparts

2. Both sexes: White eyebrow and moustache stripes, grey flanks

3. Females: Grey throat and breast, brown upperparts, yellow-buff eyebrow

The Chestnut Quail-thrush is a diurnal, largely ground-based omnivore, feeding on a mix of insects (such as grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars), native and exotic seeds, and fruit from native plants. It is locally nomadic and prefers to run rather than fly when disturbed. Breeding occurs from July to December, with males singing from daybreak throughout the season. Females lay 2–3 eggs in a ground nest, usually a small depression lined with bark, grass, and sticks, and hidden by surrounding vegetation. Both parents contribute to incubation and care of the young.

This species is found across the arid and semi-arid interior of Australia, especially in mallee woodlands with spinifex and acacia shrubs, as well as scrub and low-lying vegetation like mulga-eucalyptus and acacias on stony ground. In New South Wales, it is most widely recorded in the central and southwestern mallee regions. The species prefers fragmented habitats with dense understorey for concealment and forages primarily on the ground, often in pairs or small family groups.