Bassian Thrush Zoothera lunulata
Bassian Thrush, Barren Lands NP, Victoria, Australia, March 2006 - click for larger image Australia

The Bassian Thrush is distributed in south-east Australia including Tasmania with a disjunct population of the sub-species Z. l. cuneata in north-east Queensland. It is found in forest, woodland and coastal scrub where it feeds mainly on worms and insects found in the leaf litter.
Bassian Thrush, Wilson's Promontory, Victoria, Australia, April 2006 - click for larger image It is olive-brown above, whitish below and with heavy black scales on both the upperparts and underparts. The bill is dark above and pale below while the legs are pinkish.

Photo 3 shows the sub-species Z. l. cuneata taken near Paluma, Queensland at an elevation of about 900m. It has a relatively shorter tail and longer bill than the nominate sub-species shown in photos 1 and 2.
Bassian Thrush, Paluma, Queensland, Australia, December 2010 - click for larger image The song is very melodic and beautiful. There is a recording in The Macaulay Library.
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