Golden Whistler
Encyclopedia
The Australian Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis) is a species of bird
found in forest, woodland, mallee
, mangrove and scrub in Australia
(except the interior and most of the north) and in mountain forest in the Snow Mountains in the Papua Province of Indonesia
. Most populations are resident, but some in south-eastern Australia migrate north during the winter. Its taxonomy
is highly complex and remains a matter of dispute, with some authorities including as many as 59 subspecies
in the Golden Whistler (one of the highest numbers of subspecies in any bird), while others treat several of these as separate species (as done here).
The male has a bright yellow underside and nape, olive-green back and wings, a black head and chest-band, and a white throat. A notable exception is the Norfolk Island Golden Whistler
(P. p. xanthoprocta) where the plumage
of the male is female-like. In Australia females are overall dull brownish-grey, though some have yellowish undertail coverts
. In females of the Balim Whistler (P. p. balim), which is the subspecies in the Snow Mountains in the Papua Province of Indonesia, the entire underparts (except the whitish throat) are deep yellow. Both sexes have a black bill, dark legs and red-brown eyes.
Australian Golden Whistlers have a strong, musical voice.
is difficult, and remains a matter of dispute. Some authorities include a wide range of – often strikingly different – taxa from Indonesia
, East Timor
, Papua New Guinea
, the Solomon Islands
, Vanuatu
and Fiji
as subspecies of P. pectoralis, in which case the combined species simply is known as the Golden Whistler (a common name sometimes also used exclusively for the Australian species). Species sometimes still treated as subspecies of P. pectoralis are:
Additionally, all except the nominate subspecies of the Melanesian Whistler (P. caledonica) are sometimes included as subspecies of P. pectoralis (in which case P. caledonica is known as the New Caledonian Whistler). Historically even the New Caledonian, Tongan
and Samoan Whistler
have been treated as subspecies of the P. pectoralis. Strong published evidence in favour of either treatment is limited, and further study is warranted to resolve the situation.
. The Australian Golden Whistler is generally described as common to fairly common and is therefore unlikely to be threatened.
The Norfolk Island Golden Whistler
(P. p. xanthoprocta) declined for many years due to habitat loss and fragmentation and possible due to introduced
predators such as the Black Rat
. Most of the population is now restricted to the Norfolk Island National Park
. This has resulted in it being listed as vulnerable
by the Australian Government. Another island subspecies, the Lord Howe Golden Whistler
(P. p. contempta) remains common, but was listed as vulnerable by the Australian Government due to its small range. It is not listed anymore.
s, spider
s, and other small arthropod
s. They usually feed alone and obtain food from the lower to middle tree level, or they may alternatively take part in mixed-species feeding flock
s.
This species breeds between September and January. Male and female both work on the nest, which is a shallow bowl made of twigs, grass, and bark, and bound together with spider web. Only one brood is raised per season and both birds share incubation and care of young. Eggs hatch 15 days after they are laid and the young leave the nest after 12 days.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
found in forest, woodland, mallee
Mallee Woodlands and Shrublands
Mallee Woodlands and Shrublands is a Major Vegetation Group which occurs in semi-arid areas of southern Australia. The vegetation is dominated by mallee eucalypts which are rarely over 6 metres high...
, mangrove and scrub in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(except the interior and most of the north) and in mountain forest in the Snow Mountains in the Papua Province of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. Most populations are resident, but some in south-eastern Australia migrate north during the winter. Its taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
is highly complex and remains a matter of dispute, with some authorities including as many as 59 subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
in the Golden Whistler (one of the highest numbers of subspecies in any bird), while others treat several of these as separate species (as done here).
Description
Norfolk Island Golden Whistler
The Norfolk Island Golden Whistler , also known as the Norfolk Island Whistler or Norfolk Island Thickhead, and locally as the “Tamey”, is a small bird in the whistler family, Pachycephalidae...
(P. p. xanthoprocta) where the plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
of the male is female-like. In Australia females are overall dull brownish-grey, though some have yellowish undertail coverts
Covert (feather)
A covert feather on a bird is one of a set of feathers, called coverts, which as the name implies, cover other feathers. The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail.- Wing-coverts :...
. In females of the Balim Whistler (P. p. balim), which is the subspecies in the Snow Mountains in the Papua Province of Indonesia, the entire underparts (except the whitish throat) are deep yellow. Both sexes have a black bill, dark legs and red-brown eyes.
Australian Golden Whistlers have a strong, musical voice.
Taxonomy
The taxonomy of the Golden Whistler complexSpecies complex
A species complex is a group of closely related species, where the exact demarcation between species is often unclear or cryptic owing to their recent and usually still incomplete reproductive isolation. Ring species, superspecies and cryptic species complex are example of species complex...
is difficult, and remains a matter of dispute. Some authorities include a wide range of – often strikingly different – taxa from Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
and Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
as subspecies of P. pectoralis, in which case the combined species simply is known as the Golden Whistler (a common name sometimes also used exclusively for the Australian species). Species sometimes still treated as subspecies of P. pectoralis are:
- Rusty-breasted (Fulvous-tinted) WhistlerRusty-breasted WhistlerThe Rusty-breasted Whistler , also known as the Fulvous-tinted Whistler, is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it ranges from Java east to Alor and north to the Selayar Islands...
(Pachycephala fulvotincta) from south-western WallaceaWallaceaWallacea is a biogeographical designation for a group of Indonesian islands separated by deep water straits from the Asian and Australian continental shelves. Wallacea includes Sulawesi, the largest island in the group, as well as Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba, Timor, Halmahera, Buru, Seram, and...
, BaliBaliBali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
and JavaJavaJava is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
in Indonesia. - Black-chinned WhistlerBlack-chinned WhistlerThe Black-chinned Whistler is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family, which is endemic to Halmahera and adjacent smaller islands in North Maluku in Indonesia. It is variably considered a subspecies of a widespread Golden Whistler The Black-chinned Whistler (Pachycephala mentalis) is a...
(Pachycephala mentalis) from North MalukuNorth MalukuNorth Maluku is a province of northeastern Indonesia. It covers the northern part of the Maluku Islands, which are split between it and the province of Maluku. Maluku province used to cover the entire group...
in Indonesia. - Banda Sea (Yellow-throated) WhistlerBanda Sea WhistlerThe Banda Sea Whistler , also known as the Yellow-throated Whistler , is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family...
(Pachycephala macrorhyncha) from central and south-eastern Wallacea. - Bismarck WhistlerBismarck WhistlerThe Bismarck Whistler is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family, which is endemic to the Bismarck and Louisiade Archipelagos in Papua New Guinea. It is variably considered a subspecies of a widespread Golden Whistler The Bismarck Whistler (Pachycephala citreogaster) is a species of bird...
(Pachycephala citreogaster) from the BismarckBismarck ArchipelagoThe Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.-History:...
and Louisiade ArchipelagoLouisiade ArchipelagoThe Louisiade Archipelago is a string of ten larger volcanic islands frequently fringed by coral reefs, and 90 smaller coral islands located 200 km southeast of New Guinea, stretching over more than and spread over an ocean area of between the Solomon Sea to the north and the Coral Sea to...
s in Papua New Guinea. - Oriole (Yellow-throated) WhistlerOriole WhistlerThe Oriole Whistler , also known as the Yellow-throated Whistler , is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family, which is endemic to the Solomon Islands, and the islands of Bougainville and Buka in far eastern Papua New Guinea...
(Pachycephala orioloides) from the Solomons (except Santa Cruz IslandsSanta Cruz IslandsThe Santa Cruz Islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of Temotu Province of the Solomon Islands. They lie approximately 250 miles to the southeast of the Solomon Islands Chain...
), and the islands of BougainvilleBougainville IslandBougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
and BukaBuka IslandBuka Island is the second largest island in the Papua New Guinean province of Bougainville.- History :Buka was first occupied by humans in paleolithic times, some 30,000 years ago...
in far eastern Papua New Guinea. - Fiji WhistlerFiji WhistlerThe Fiji Whistler is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family, which is endemic to Fiji. It is variably considered a subspecies of a widespread P. pectoralis, a subspecies of P...
(Pachycephala graeffii) from central and northern islands in Fiji. - White-throated WhistlerWhite-throated WhistlerThe White-throated Whistler is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family, which is endemic to Fiji and the Solomons . It is variably considered a subspecies of a widespread P...
(Pachycephala vitiensis) from southern islands in Fiji, and the central and northern Santa Cruz Islands in the Solomons.
Additionally, all except the nominate subspecies of the Melanesian Whistler (P. caledonica) are sometimes included as subspecies of P. pectoralis (in which case P. caledonica is known as the New Caledonian Whistler). Historically even the New Caledonian, Tongan
Tongan Whistler
The Tongan Whistler is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family. It is endemic to the islands of Vava'u and Late in Tonga. It is mainly found in tropical primary forest, but can sometimes be seen in second growth or wooded plantations...
and Samoan Whistler
Samoan Whistler
The Samoan Whistler , also known as the Yellow-fronted Whistler, is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family. It is endemic to Samoa, where found in forest, plantations and gardens...
have been treated as subspecies of the P. pectoralis. Strong published evidence in favour of either treatment is limited, and further study is warranted to resolve the situation.
Status
The Australian Golden Whistler has not been rated by the IUCN, although the Golden Whistler (see taxonomy) is considered to be of Least ConcernLeast Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
. The Australian Golden Whistler is generally described as common to fairly common and is therefore unlikely to be threatened.
The Norfolk Island Golden Whistler
Norfolk Island Golden Whistler
The Norfolk Island Golden Whistler , also known as the Norfolk Island Whistler or Norfolk Island Thickhead, and locally as the “Tamey”, is a small bird in the whistler family, Pachycephalidae...
(P. p. xanthoprocta) declined for many years due to habitat loss and fragmentation and possible due to introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
predators such as the Black Rat
Black Rat
The black rat is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus in the subfamily Murinae . The species originated in tropical Asia and spread through the Near East in Roman times before reaching Europe by the 1st century and spreading with Europeans across the world.-Taxonomy:The black rat was...
. Most of the population is now restricted to the Norfolk Island National Park
Norfolk Island National Park
Norfolk Island National Park is a protected area of 6.50 km² established in 1984 and managed by the Commonwealth of Australia. It comprises two sections, the Mount Pitt section on Norfolk Island in the South Pacific Ocean with an area of 4.60 km² and the neighbouring 1.90 km² Phillip Island, as...
. This has resulted in it being listed as vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
by the Australian Government. Another island subspecies, the Lord Howe Golden Whistler
Lord Howe Golden Whistler
The Lord Howe Golden Whistler , also known as the Lord Howe Whistler or Lord Howe Island Golden Whistler, and locally as the “Robin” or “Yellow Robin”, is a small bird in the whistler family, Pachycephalidae...
(P. p. contempta) remains common, but was listed as vulnerable by the Australian Government due to its small range. It is not listed anymore.
Ecology
The Australian Golden Whistler can be found in almost any wooded habitat, especially dense forests. It eats berries, insectInsect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s, and other small arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
s. They usually feed alone and obtain food from the lower to middle tree level, or they may alternatively take part in mixed-species feeding flock
Mixed-species feeding flock
A mixed-species feeding flock, also termed a mixed-species foraging flock, mixed hunting party or informally bird wave, is a flock of usually insectivorous birds of different species, that join each other and move together while foraging...
s.
This species breeds between September and January. Male and female both work on the nest, which is a shallow bowl made of twigs, grass, and bark, and bound together with spider web. Only one brood is raised per season and both birds share incubation and care of young. Eggs hatch 15 days after they are laid and the young leave the nest after 12 days.
External links
- Golden Whistler videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection