- Pachycephala griseiceps
Identification
14 - 15cm.
- Grey head
- White chin and throat, grey streaked in some subspecies (eg sudestensis)
- Olive-green upperparts and tail
- Pale yellow underparts, some subspecies with a darker (olive-buff to brownish) upperbreast
- Black bill
Sexes alike. Juveniles are more rufous-brown
Similar species
The subspecies peninsulae of Grey Whistler is very similar and sometimes included in this species.
Distribution
Found on New Guinea and adjacent islands.
Depending on the taxonomy followed also occuring in Australia (if peninsulae is included in this species).
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
- P. g. rufipennis:
- Kai Islands (Kai Kecil and Kai Besar)
- P. g. gagiensis:
- Gagi Islands (New Guinea)
- P. g. waigeuensis:
- Waigeo and Gebe islands (New Guinea)
- P. g. miosnomensis:
- Meos Num Island (New Guinea)
- P. g. griseiceps:
- Aru Islands and north-eastern New Guinea
- P. g. jobiensis:
- Northern New Guinea and Yapen Island
- P. g. perneglecta:
- Southern New Guinea
- P. g. dubia:
- South-eastern New Guinea and D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago
- P. g. sudestensis:
- Tagula Island (Louisiade Archipelago)
- P. g. peninsulae:
- North-eastern Queensland south to Rockingham Bay; Hinchinbrook Island
Often considered conspecific with Grey Whistler. Some authorities place dubia under Grey Whistler but include the subspecies peninsulae of the latter in this species. Further research is needed to solve this matter.
Habitat
Rainforest, monsoon forest, tall secondary growth, locally mangroves. Occurs from sea-level to 1400m.
Behaviour
Feeds mainly on insects but takes also spiders and some seeds.
Breeding recorded at the end of the wet season and beginning of dry season. The nest is a cup made of grass, leaves, rootlets, twigs and plant fibre. It's placed in a tree fork some 6 - 15m above the ground. Lays 2 eggs.
Resident species.
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
- Avibase
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Grey-headed Whistler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 June 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Grey-headed_Whistler
