From Opus

Pachycephala caledonica

[edit] Identification

14 - 16cm.
Male:

• Ashy grey crown and side of head
• Sometimes a trace of a yellow collar on nape
• Greenish-olive upperparts and tail
• White chin and throat
• Narrow dull black breastband
• Dull yellow rest of underparts
• Black bill and legs

Female:

• Olive-brown upperparts
• Greenish-olive tail
• Off white underparts with breast and side of belly washed light greyish-brown
• Tinged yellow undertail-coverts

Immatures have prominent rufous markings on wings.

[edit] Distribution

New Caledonia and Isle of Pines.
Common in suitable habitat.

[edit] Taxonomy

Monotypic.
Formerly treated as a subspecies of Golden Whistler. Some authorities include the subspecies of the latter from Loyalty Island, Banks Island, Vanuatu and Vanikoro in this species.

[edit] Habitat

Moist lowland forests and montanes. Occurs from sea-level to 900m.

[edit] Behaviour

Feeds on insects, takes occasionally seeds and small snails.
Breeding season from December to January. The nest is a cup made of fine twigs. It's placed 1.5 to 10.5.m above the ground. Lays 2 white eggs.
Resident species.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553422

• List of references

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on the ABID