punctatum, the chestnut quail-thrush is a medium-sized bird that resides in the lower canopy and scrub of arid and semi-arid vegetation.

The male is characterised by a black breast, grey flank, and chestnut to grey-brown upper parts with white eyebrow and throat-patch.

[4] They are known to collect in pairs and small family groups, using scrub and bushes for concealment and song perches, and running swiftly in rocketing bursts when disturbed or alarmed.

The Cinclosoma castanotum species was discovered by John Gould in 1840 and was labelled so in order to draw attention to the patch of chestnut on the lower back of the bird.

[6] Despite this, there remains some debate as to the origin and taxonomical relationship between the arid and tropical species due to the stark difference in habitat and environment.

[7] In addition to the divergence in mtDNA, there was a difference in dorsal colouration caused by sexual dimorphism in species found to the east and west of the Eyrean Barrier – helping to define the taxonomical separations.

[7] The traditional habitat of the chestnut quail-thrush is scrub and low-lying vegetation, such as mulga-eucalyptus and acacias that reside on stony ground, as well as grevilleas and tea trees on rocky hillocks.

[4] The chestnut quail-thrush is a largely ground-based bird that favours the understorey over the canopy in order to forage, nest and hide from predators.

[9] Easily disturbed from external activity, the chestnut quail-thrush is difficult to follow and has a practiced skill in hiding in undergrowth and scrub when threatened.

[13] The species – and genus at large - are vulnerable to a variety of threats, including: land clearing leading to habitat loss, fragmentation and genetic isolation; the degradation of habitat due to adjacent or immediate human activity; predation from invasive pests, such as cats and foxes; the direct and indirect challenges faced by inappropriate fire regimes, including rapid landscape change; and the unknown future threats driven by anthropogenic climate change.