Habitat

Great Shortwing inhabits dense undergrowth in montane forest, notably along rocky gulleys and overgrown streamsides in valleys with dense mosses. Occurs between 1,500 and 3,500 m (2 White, C. M. N., and M. D. Bruce (1986). The Birds of Wallacea (Sulawesi, the Moluccas & Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia). An Annotated Check-list. British Ornithologists’ Union Check-list 7. British Ornithologists’ Union, London, UK. Close , 7 Holmes, D. A., and K. Phillipps (1996). The Birds of Sulawesi. Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Oxford, UK. Close , 8 Coates, B. J., and K. D. Bishop (1997). A Guide to the Birds of Wallacea: Sulawesi, The Moluccas and Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. Dove Publications, Alderley, Queensland, Australia. Close ), but is apparently commoner at higher elevations within this range (1 Eaton, J. A., B. van Balen, N. W. Brickle, and F. E. Rheindt (2016). Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ). This species appears to be dependent on the interior of primary montane forests: it is absent from cacao plantations in Central Sulawesi (that otherwise host 50+% of species designated ‘forest specialists’) (19 Abrahamczyk, S., M. Kessler, D. Dwi Putra, M. Waltert, and T. Tscharntke (2008). The value of differently managed cacao plantations for forest bird conservation in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Bird Conservation International 18(4):349–362. Close ), and it was not detected during seven days of survey at appropriate elevations of primary forest edge in South-East Sulawesi (20 Berryman, A. J., and J. A. Eaton (2020). The avifauna of the Mekongga Mountains, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, and notes on a vocally distinct Locustella grasshopper warbler. BirdingASIA 33:27–35. Close ). However, it was recorded in selectively logged montane forest on the western slopes of Gunung Rorekatimbu (21 Andrew, P., and D. A. Holmes (1990). Sulawesi bird report. Kukila 5(1):4–26. Close ), and so it may be tolerant of some level forest degradation provided some dark, damp tangles and thickets remain.