Rusty-breasted Whistler - BirdForum Opus

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Alternative name: Fulvous-tinted Whistler; Tenggara Whistler

Includes: Selayar Whistler

Male P. f. fulviventris
Photo by mehdhalaouate
Sumba, Indonesia, November 2005

Pachycephala fulvotincta

Identification

16-19 cm.

Distribution

Lesser Sundas and Java

Taxonomy

Sometimes regarded conspecific with Golden Whistler. Reference [4] includes the Timorese subspecies calliope of Yellow-throated Whistler, P. macrorhyncha together with its Wetar population (subspecies "arthuri") here (but excluding subspecies teysmanni) to form "Tenggara Whistler", P. calliope. It notes that the mitochondrial DNA of subspecies calliope and arthuri is divergent. This could imply raising its other subspecies to species status.

Many of this taxon's subspecies may warrant species status. Subspecies teysmanni may be split as "Selayar Whistler" (P. teysmanni; e.g. [4]).

Subspecies

Female of subspecies fulvotincta
Photo by Floresexotictours
Lesser Sundas, Indonesia, December 2016

Clements recognises the following subspecies [1]:

• P. f. javana: Eastern Java and Bali
• P. f. teysmanni: "Selayar Whistler". Salayar Island (Flores Sea)
• P. f. everetti: Tanahjampea, Kalaotoa and Madu islands (Flores Sea)
• P. f. fulvotincta: Western Lesser Sundas (Sumbawa to Alor)
• P. f. fulviventris: Sumba (Lesser Sundas)

Subspecies calliope of Yellow-throated Whistler, P. macrorhyncha (of Timor) may be included in this species.

Behaviour

Feeds mainly on insects and spiders.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Dickinson, EC, ed. 2003. The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. 3rd ed., with updates to December 2007 (Corrigenda 7). Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691117010
3. Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2010. IOC World Bird Names (version 2.7). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
4. Eaton, JA, B van Balen, NW Brickle, FE Rheindt 2021. Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago (Greater Sundas and Wallacea), Second Edition. Lynx Editions. ISBN978-84-16728-44-2

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Rusty-breasted Whistler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Rusty-breasted_Whistler

External Links

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