Arafura Shrikethrush

Arafura Shrikethrush

Colluricincla megarhyncha

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Litchfield National Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

74 Verified sightings at Litchfield National Park From 2019 to 2026
534 In all 7 parks
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Arafura Shrikethrush

The little shrikethrush or little shrike-thrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha) is a species of passerine bird in the family Pachycephalidae that is found in New Guinea as well as in north and east Australia. The little shrikethrush was formally described and illustrated in 1832 as Muscicapa megarhyncha by the French naturalists Jean Quoy and Joseph Gaimard based on a specimen collected near Manokwari in the Bird's Head Peninsula of New Guinea. The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek μεγα/mega meaning "much" with ῥυγχος/rhunkhos meaning "bill". The little shrikethrush is now placed in the genus Colluricincla that was introduced in 1827 by the naturalists Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield.

Molecular genetic studies of New Guinea populations of the little shrikethrush indicate high levels of genetic divergence, suggesting it may comprise more than one species. With at least eight separate clades identified as potential species splits, further research may lead to the re-classification of several new species. Alternate names for the little shrikethrush include the brown shrike-flycatcher and rufous shrike-thrush.

Sixteen subspecies are recognised: Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:23

Indonesia · 2026

© Carlos Bocos · XC1143408 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:13

Australia · 2017

© Phil Gregory · XC603719 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

?0:52

Indonesia · 2009

© Frank Rheindt · XC40236 · CC BY-NC-ND 2.5

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
2 Raja Ampat 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
3 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
4 Noosa National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
5 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
6 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
7 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Brisbane 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Arafura Shrikethrush in Litchfield National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Arafura Shrikethrush sighting in Litchfield National Park on a given day, based on 74 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 31st most-seen of the 110 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Arafura Shrikethrush in Litchfield National Park?

September

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report an Arafura Shrikethrush in Litchfield National Park on a given day, against about 10% in February and November–December, the lowest months. That is one of Litchfield National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 400 mm in January.

What time of day is best to see an Arafura Shrikethrush?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Arafura Shrikethrush sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Litchfield National Park the best place to see an Arafura Shrikethrush?

3rd of 7

Of the 7 parks where we can rate Arafura Shrikethrush sightings, Litchfield National Park ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Daintree National Park (Australia, about 30%) and Raja Ampat (Indonesia, about 20%).

Where does the Arafura Shrikethrush sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Arafura Shrikethrush is recorded against all the birds logged in Litchfield National Park (74 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Litchfield National Park