Family PSOPHODIDAE Bonaparte, 1854

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Introduction

Following Christidis and Boles (2008) Cinclosoma and Psophodes are now removed to a separate family, Psophodidae. Australia has nine species in two genera, represented by 19 ultrataxa. All Australian species are endemic; the two Australian genera are widely divergent in morphological characters (Schodde & Mason 1999). One genus (quail-thrushes, Cinclosoma) is shared with New Guinea and represented there by an endemic species. The other, an endemic Australian genus — whipbirds and wedgebills (Psophodes) — is closely related to an endemic New Guinea monotypic genus (Androphobus). The family is sedentary with some local nomadic movement. Within Australia the family is widespread although only one species, Cinclosoma punctatum, has occupied Tasmania and is represented by an endemic ultrataxa. All psophotids are gregarious, usually living in small family groups. Vocalisations are strong and often ventriloquial — the callers or songsters often give duets or share antiphonal calls.

Their habitat preferences are eclectic; they occupy areas varying from tall wet forests to the open dry shrublands and stony plains of the arid interior. All have similar feeding behaviour: feeding is generally accomplished through gleaning and scratching through leaf litter and other ground level vegetation for invertebrates, although at least one member of the genus Psophodes is scansorial, these birds on occasion moving high into trees during their feeding activities.

All construct a cupped nest of small twigs and this is lined with finer twigs or grasses. The two Australian genera choose separate locations as nest sites. Species of Psophodes choose to nest in shrubs or bushes whereas Cinclosoma species choose ground depressions normally at or near the base of a shrub or tree. Eggs per clutch usually number between two or three. Psophodes share a pale blue-green base colour for all species; their eggs are finely marked with dark brown to black dots forming a corona at the larger end. Clutches of Cinclosoma differ, having a creamy base colour; the eggs are heavily marked overall in pale hues of ochre, brown and grey generally placed as spots or dots.

Diagnosis

'Whipbirds have low keels on their sterna, indicative of weak flight, as well as 9 secondaries (plus remicle), and a decurrent bicipital crest at the head of the humerus that, in addition to the single corvoid humeral fossa, encloses a secondary depression for attachment of an enlarged M. humerotriceps ventralis. They also have broad pelves with moderately attenuated and inwardly angled terminal iliac processes. Quail-thrushes, in contrast, have high keels on their sterna, presumably enabling them to flush quickly, as well as 10-11 secondaries and a secondary depression above the internal humeral tuberosity instead, for enlarged attachment of the M. h. dorsalis. The much broadened and flattened pelves are also furnished with elongated oblong terminal iliac processes that project far posteriorly. In the skull, the structure of the ectethmpoid plate differs too. In whipbirds, the ectethmoids are simple, reduced and narrowly winged, without reaching the jugal bar; but in quail-thrushes, they are thickened ventrally by large lachrymals which expand ventrally into a 'foot' on the jugal.'

General References

Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [173]

Dickinson, E.C. (ed.) 2003. The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. London : Christopher Helm 1039 pp.

Schodde, R. & Mason, I.J. 1999. The Directory of Australian Birds : Passerines. A Taxonomic and Zoogeographic Atlas of the Biodiversity of Birds in Australia and its Territories. Collingwood, Australia : CSIRO Publishing x 851 pp.

History of changes