The Australian golden whistler (''Pachycephala pectoralis'') or golden whistler, is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

found in forest, woodland, mallee, mangrove and scrub in Australia (except the interior and most of the north)Ken Simpson, K., & N. Day. (1994). ''Field Guide to the Birds of Australia.'' 2nd edition.

Christopher Helm Christopher Alexander Roger Helm (born Dundee, 1 February 1937 – 20 January 2007) was a Scottish book publisher, notably of ornithology related titles, including the '' Helm Identification Guides''. Born in Dundee, he was raised in Forfar ...

. . Most populations are resident, but some in south-eastern Australia migrate north during the winter. Its

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

is highly complex and remains a matter of dispute, with some authorities including as many as 59 subspecies of the golden whistler (one of the highest numbers of subspecies in any bird), while others treat several of these as separate species.

Taxonomy and systematics

The Australian golden whistler was originally described in the genus ''

Muscicapa ''Muscicapa'' is a genus of passerine birds belonging to the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae, and therein to the typical flycatchers of subfamily Muscicapinae. They are widespread across Europe, Africa and Asia with most species occur ...

'' by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801.

Subspecies

The taxonomy of the golden whistler

complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

is difficult, and remains a matter of dispute. Some authorities include a wide range of – often strikingly different –

taxa In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

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). Presently, six remaining subspecies are recognized: * ''P. p. pectoralis'' - ( Latham, 1801): Found in eastern Australia * Norfolk golden whistler (''P. p. xanthoprocta'') -

Gould Gould may refer to: People * Gould (name), a surname Places United States * Gould, Arkansas, a city * Gould, Colorado, an unincorporated community * Gould, Ohio, an unincorporated community * Gould, Oklahoma, a town * Gould, West Virginia, a ...

, 1838: Originally described as a separate species. Found on Norfolk Island (Australia). * Lord Howe golden whistler (''P. p. contempta'') -

Hartert Ernst Johann Otto Hartert (29 October 1859 – 11 November 1933) was a widely published German ornithologist. Life and career Hartert was born in Hamburg, Germany on 29 October 1859. In July 1891, he married the illustrator Claudia Bernadine E ...

, 1898: Originally described as a separate species. Found on

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland P ...

(Australia). * ''P. p. youngi'' - Mathews, 1912: Found in south-eastern Australia * ''P. p. glaucura'' - Gould, 1845: Originally described as a separate species. Found in

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

and the Bass Strait Islands (Australia) * ''P. p. fuliginosa'' - Vigors & Horsfield, 1827: Originally described as a separate species. Found in south-central Australia Some authorities also consider the following related species as subspecies of the Australian golden whistler:Clements, J. F. (2007). ''

The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World ''The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World'' is a book by Jim Clements which presents a list of the bird species of the world. The most recent printed version is the sixth edition (2007), but has been updated yearly, the last version in 2022 ...

.'' 6th edition. . * Rusty-breasted (fulvous-tinted) whistler from south-western

Wallacea Wallacea is a biogeographical designation for a group of mainly 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 ...

, Bali and

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...

in Indonesia. *

Yellow-throated whistler The yellow-throated whistler (''Pachycephala macrorhyncha'') or Banda Sea whistler, is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae. It is endemic to central and south-eastern Wallacea, where it ranges from Timor east to the Tanimbars and nor ...

from central and south-eastern Wallacea. *

Baliem whistler The Baliem whistler or Balim whistler (''Pachycephala balim'') is a species of bird of the whistler family Pachycephalidae that is endemic to New Guinea. Taxonomy and systematics The Baliem whistler was formerly considered as a subspecies of the ...

from west-central New Guinea. *

Black-chinned whistler The black-chinned whistler (''Pachycephala mentalis'') is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae, endemic to Halmahera and adjacent smaller islands in North Maluku in Indonesia. Taxonomy and systematics It is variably considered a subsp ...

from

North Maluku North Maluku ( id, Maluku Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It covers the northern part of the Maluku Islands, bordering the Pacific Ocean to the north, the Halmahera Sea to the east, the Molucca Sea to the west, and the Seram Sea to the sout ...

in Indonesia. * Bismarck whistler from the Bismarck and

Louisiade Archipelago The Louisiade Archipelago is a string of ten larger volcanic islands frequently fringed by coral reefs, and 90 smaller coral islands in Papua New Guinea. It is located 200 km southeast of New Guinea, stretching over more than and spread ...

s in Papua New Guinea. *

Oriole whistler The oriole whistler (''Pachycephala orioloides''), also known as the yellow-throated whistler (leading to easy confusion with '' Pachycephala macrorhyncha''), is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae, which is endemic to the Solomon Isl ...

from the Solomons (except

Santa Cruz Islands The Santa Cruz Islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of Temotu Province of the nation of Solomon Islands discovered by the Spaniards. They lie approximately 250 miles (400 km) to the southeast of the Solomon Islands ...

), and the islands of Bougainville and Buka in far eastern Papua New Guinea. *

Fiji whistler The Fiji whistler (''Pachycephala vitiensis'') is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae, Endemism, endemic to Fiji. Taxonomy and systematics It was variably considered a subspecies of a widespread golden whistler (''Australian golden w ...

from central and northern islands in Fiji. * White-throated whistler 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 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 ''P. pectoralis''. Strong published evidence in favour of either treatment is limited, and further study is warranted to resolve the situation.

Description

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 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 A covert feather or tectrix on a bird is one of a set of feathers, called coverts (or ''tectrices''), which, as the name implies, cover other feathers. The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail. Ear coverts The ear coverts are s ...

. Both sexes have a black bill, dark legs and red-brown eyes.Boles, W. E. (2007). Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis). Pp. 421–423 in: del Hoyo, J., A. Elliot, & D. Christie. Eds. (2007). '' Handbook of the Birds of the World''. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Australian golden whistlers have a strong, musical voice.

Distribution and habitat

The Australian golden whistler can be found in almost any wooded habitat, especially dense forests. It eats berries, insects, spiders, and other small

arthropod Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and cuticle made of chiti ...

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 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. These are ...

Behaviour

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.

Status

The Australian golden whistler is considered to be of

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...

, and it is generally described as common to fairly common. The Norfolk golden whistler (''P. p. xanthoprocta'') declined for many years due to

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and fragmentation and possibly also due to introduced predators such as the black rat. Most of the population is now restricted to the

Norfolk Island National Park Norfolk Island National Park is a protected area of located at in the South Pacific Ocean, about off the East coast of Australia. The park’s area includes the Mount Pitt section on the namesake Norfolk Island with an area of / , as well a ...

. 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.

EPBC Act The ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and cultu ...

List of Threatened Fauna.
DEWHA. Accessed 10 February 2010.

References

External links

Golden whistler videos, photos & sounds
on the Internet Bird Collection {{Taxonbar, from=Q1584926 Australian golden whistler Australian golden whistler Birds of the Maluku Islands Birds of the Lesser Sunda Islands Birds of Melanesia Australian golden whistler Articles containing video clips