Thick rock head
| Thick rock head | ||||||||||||
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A thick rock head (below), with a white-throated grass hatchback (above). |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Colluricincla woodwardi | ||||||||||||
| Hartert , 1905 |
The rock thick head ( Colluricincla woodwardi ) is a passerine bird from the genus Colluricincla within the family of the thick heads and is a representative of the avifauna of Australia .
The IUCN classifies the stock situation of the Felsendickkopf as safe ( least concern ). No subspecies are distinguished.
description
Build and dimensions
The rock head reaches a body length of 24.5 to 26.5 centimeters and an average weight of 53 grams. It is one of the larger representatives within its genus and is reminiscent of a thrush with its physique. The big head of the gray chest is similar in size to the big head of the rock, but the big head of the gray chest is much stronger. Compared to the gray back thick head and the forest thick head , the rock thick head is significantly larger. There is no noticeable gender dimorphism. The only difference between the female and the male is the gray beak.
Appearance
The head and neck are dark gray, the reins are whitish, a spring ring around the eyes is also whitish, but only very narrow. The chin is whitish to light gray. The top of the body is dark gray. The tail plumage is dark brown on the top. The chest is pale reddish brown with narrow dark gray dashes. The rest of the underside of the body is pale brown. The tail plumage is dark brown-gray on the underside. The beak is black, the iris is dark red-brown. The orbital ring is dark gray. The legs and feet are black to blackish gray.
Possible confusion
In the range of the Felsendickkopf there are several types of Dickkopf, with which it can be confused. However, they all inhabit different habitats.
The brown-backed Dickkopf is built much slimmer than the Graubrust-Dickkopf and appears overall darker. The forest thick head occurs in rainforests of northwestern Australia and is significantly smaller. With him, the underside of the body is significantly darker than with the brown-breasted thick head. The gray-backed thickhead colonizes mountain rainforests and is limited to the northeast of the Australian state of Queensland. In addition to its smaller body size, it also differs from the brown-breasted thick head in that its tail plumage is proportionally shorter than its body size.
Distribution area and habitat
The thick head of rock occurs only in the tropical north of the Australian continent. Its distribution area is limited to the north of the Australian states of Western Australia and Northern Territory . There are individual observations for Queensland . It is considered a resident bird in its entire range .
The Felsendickkopf inhabits rocky areas, in most of its distribution area sandstone dominates. The vegetation usually consists only of single trees, mostly Eucalyptus miniata . The ground is mostly covered with prickly head grass. It is only sporadically observed in the rainforest.
Way of life
The thick rock head lives solitary or in pairs. Occasionally it is also observed in groups of three individuals. It is considered a very agile bird, but it is very shy of humans and therefore difficult to observe. His presence is particularly noticeable through his loud and melodious singing, which can be heard from afar. It stays mostly on the ground, where it looks for food between rocks and stones. It seldom arises. If he is disturbed, he seldom flies up, but searches the distance with fast hops. He looks for cover behind stones, in cracks or small hollows. The flight is straight with powerful wing beats, which is repeatedly interrupted by short gliding phases.
The breeding season falls in October and November. The nest is often on a ledge, in cavities on such ledges or under overhanging rocks. The nest is cup-shaped and is formed from small roots, grass, branches and leaves. The clutch consists of two to three eggs. Presumably only the female breeds. Nothing is known about the incubation period and the time from hatching of the nestlings until they fled.
literature
- PJ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds , Volume 6, Pardalotes to shrike-thrushes, Oxford University Press, Oxford 1993, ISBN 0-19-553069-1 .
Single receipts
- ↑ Handbook of the Birds of the World zum Braunbrust-Dickkopf , accessed on July 3, 2017
- ↑ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds . Volume 6, p. 1189.
- ↑ a b Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds . Volume 6, p. 1185.
- ↑ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds . Volume 6, p. 1191.
- ↑ a b Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds . Volume 6, p. 1186.
- ↑ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds . Volume 6, p. 1187.