Australian Logrunner (female)

Description:

Another first encounter for me on this hike was this beautiful Australian Logrunner, and it was a female. I heard some rustling and fluttering in the undergrowth, and then I caught a peripheral glimpse. I was surprised to see it was such a beautiful little bird with wonderful colours. These are passerine birds that are endemic to eastern Australia. Adult males have a grey face and sides, and are white underneath, olive-rufous above, with grey bars across the wing. Adult females are similar, but have a orange-rufous throat. Immature birds are similar to adults, but the underparts are mottled with white. Diet consists mainly of insects and other invertebrates uncovered via foraging on the forest floor. The references provide loads of information on the species.

Habitat:

Spotted on the Mt. Mathieson Trail in a section of subtropical rainforest, at Mt. Mathieson, Spicers Gap. This area forms part of Main Range National Park, and is included in the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. Massive fires have recently burnt through this area, but apart from some burning around its perimeter, the central part of this rainforest remains intact. Logrunner's usual habitatis is in wet eucalypt forest, sub-tropical and tropical rainforests with a dense canopy and understorey, and an accumulation of leaf litter. That's right here!

Notes:

Many thanks to PN Ranger Leuba Ridgway for the ID of this spotting.