today's critter is the western quail-thrush, a ground-dwelling bird of Western Australia. while passeriforme birds are often colloquially referred to as "perching" birds, quail-thrushes' terrestrial habits much more resemble those of the galliformes, an order which does indeed include quails. in fact, though the quail-thrushes are not meaningfully related to either of their English namesakes, i imagine that, to a differently trained eye, they would initially resemble some sort of hybrid between quails and thrushes.
omnivores of shrubland and savannah, foraging on foot and rarely flying outside of life-threatening situations. their gait changes only in speed when they feel threatened, giving them an endearing and i'll concede very quaillike scurry. the highest they go of their own free will is to perch on broad branches, dirt mounds, or stones in order to project their singing. their sturdy legs are accompanied by a similarly sturdy bill, used to flip over stones in hopes of revealing tasty bugs.
in contrast to the much more well-camouflaged females, males bear high-contrast black stripes on their face, neck, chest, and flight feathers. this black plumage accentuates their eyelashes; long eyelashes are a common trait among desert-dwelling critters, as they keep sand out of the eyes. in cases such as the human and the male western quail-thrush, however, they also make them look fabulous.
24 June 2026
