Alternative name: Australian Golden Whistler
- Pachycephala pectoralis
Includes Western Whistler
Identification
16 - 19cm.
Photo by Rose Fletcher
Nangawooka Flora Reserve, Victor Harbor, South Australia, April 2008
- Black head, nape and band around upper breast
- White throat
- Yellow nape extending to breast and underparts
- Olive-green back
- Females have brownish-grey upperparts
- xanthoprocta with brownish-grey head, chin, throat and upperparts and only slightly yellow on underparts
- Similar to Black-tailed Whistler from northern Australia but note black tail in latter
Distribution
Australia and New Guinea.
Common in most of its range.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
- P. p. balim: Northern New Guinea (Ballim and Bele valleys)
- P. p. pectoralis: Eastern Australia (Cooktown, Queensland to Hunter River, New South Wales
- P. p. youngi: South Eastern Australia (central New South Wales to south-western Victoria)
- P. p. glaucura: Tasmania and Flinders Island (Bass Strait)
- P. p. fuliginosa: South-western Western Australia to south-eastern South Australia and western Victoria, split by Gill and Donsker as Western Whistler (Pachycephala occidentalis)
- P. p. contempta: Lord Howe I.
- P. p. xanthoprocta: Norfolk I.
Discussion
Has been considered conspecific with some other Whistlers, especially with Black-tailed Whistler, Tongan Whistler, New Caledonian Whistler, Vanuatu Whistler, Oriole Whistler, Fulvous-tinted Whistler, Black-chinned Whistler, Bismarck Whistler and Banda Sea Whistler.
Norfolk Island Whistler (P. p. xanthoprocta) has been proposed as a full species and other subspecies have been included in other species.
Habitat
Very varied in the type of forest and scrub habitat acceptable, from rainforest and mangrove to gardens to dry scrub.
Behaviour
Feeds mainly on insects and spiders.
In Australia, 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.
Resident species. Some Australian populations known to make altitudinal movements.
References
- 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.
- 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
- Simpson, K and N Day. 1998. Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-7136-4877-5
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2015. IOC World Bird Names (version 5.1). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Golden Whistler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Golden_Whistler
