Australian Logrunner
Orthonyx temminckii
- Family
- Logrunner and Chowchilla (Orthonychidae)
- Order
- Passeriformes
Overview
The Australian logrunner (Orthonyx temminckii) is a species of bird that is endemic to eastern Australia where it uses unique foraging techniques and adaptations to search for its food on the floors of temperate, subtropical, or tropical moist lowland forests in south-eastern Australia. Until 2002, it was widely considered to be conspecific with the New Guinea logrunner, but studies showed the two differ significantly, both genetically and vocally.
It is known by a number of common names including spine-tailed logrunner, spine-tail, logrunner, scrub quail and chowcilla.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Eastern Australia (Noosa, southeastern Queensland, to Nowra, southern New South Wales).
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Australian logrunner
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.