(aka Rufous-fronted Thornbird, Plain Thornbird)
The thornbirds are related to ovenbirds such as the Rufous Hornero. There are three geographically separated races of this species. This is the nominate sub-species which has a rufous forehead.
The most noticeable feature of these rather drab birds are the enormous stick nests which they build. These can be up to 2 metres long. The scale can be judged in the photo from the thornbird sitting on the top of the nest.
You are likely to see several nests in the same tree but this does not signify that there it nests in colonies. In fact, the same pair will build a new nest each year and usually in the same or a nearby tree. As a general rule, the higher the nest the more recent it will be.
There are illustrations of P.r. rufifrons in Ridgely & Tudor, Volume 2, Plate 7; and in Sick, Plate 27; and of P.r. inornatus in Hilty & Brown, Plate 25.
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