chowchilla Austral.
(ˈtʃaʊˈtʃɪlə)
[Imit. of its note.]
The black-headed log-runner (Orthonyx spaldingi), a small bird found in the dense scrub of mountain ranges in Queensland.
| 1931 N. W. Cayley What Bird is That? 44 Chowchilla (Northern Log-runner) Orthonyx spaldingi...Call, a series of notes, like ‘Chow-chilla-chow-chow-chilla’. It is also said to be a wonderful mimic. 1934 A. H. Chisholm Bird Wonders Australia xxi. 206 Settlers in northern Queensland know the Black-headed Logrunner not only as the ‘Auctioneer-bird’, but as the ‘Chowchilla’, since, they say, a company of the birds freely shouts, ‘Chow-chilla-chow-chow’. 1958 J. A. Leach Austral. Bird Book (ed. 9) 140 Northern Chowchilla..upper black; under white; under base spiny tail smoke-brown;..upper breast orange-rufous. |