Western Whistler - BirdForum Opus

P. f. fuliginosa
Photo © by peterday
Cox Scrub Conservation Park, South Australia, October 2022

P. f. occidentalis
Photo © by Maroon Jay
Cheynes Beach, Western Australia, May 2016

Pachycephala fuliginosa

Identification

16 - 19cm (6-7½ in).

• Black head, nape and band around upper breast
• White throat
• Yellow nape extending to breast and underparts
• Olive-green back
• Grey tail broadly tipped black
• Females have brown upperparts

P. f. fuliginosa
Female
Photo © by peterday
Cox Scrub Conservation Park, South Australia, October 2013

P. f. occidentalis
Female
Photo © by Dan Miller
Little Grove, Albany, Western Australia, December 2019

Distribution

Southern Australia and southwestern Western Australia)
Common in most of its range.

Taxonomy

Formerly included in Golden Whistler.

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized^[1].

• P. f. occidentalis

• Southwestern Australia (southwestern West Australia) and western and central South Australia.

• P. f. fuliginosa:

• Eastern South Australia and western Victoria.

Habitat

Very varied in the type of forest and scrub habitat acceptable, from rainforest and mangrove to gardens to dry scrub.

Behaviour

Diet

Feeds mainly on insects and spiders.

Breeding

Breeding season is mainly August to January. The nest is a cup made of twigs, grass, plant stems and other material. It's usually placed around 3m above the ground. Lays 2 - 3 eggs. Brood parasitism by Pallid Cuckoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo and Brush Cuckoo reported.

Movements

A resident species.

Vocalisation

Recording © by Dan Miller
Little Grove, Albany, Western Australia, 25 December 2019

Gallery

Click images to see larger version

• 

  P. f. fuliginosa
  Immature
  Photo © by peterday
  Cox Scrub Conservation Park, South Australia, October 2013

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
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
3. Simpson, K and N Day. 1998. Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-7136-4877-5
4. Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2016. IOC World Bird Names (version 6.3). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Western Whistler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Western_Whistler

External Links

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