The Norfolk golden whistler (''Pachycephala pectoralis xanthoprocta''), also known as the Norfolk Island whistler or Norfolk Island thickhead, and locally as the “tamey”, is a small bird in the
whistler family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
,
Pachycephalidae. It is a
subspecies of the
Australian golden whistler and
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to
Norfolk Island, an Australian territory in the
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea ( Māori: ''Te Tai-o-Rēhua'', ) is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer ...
, between Australia and New Zealand.
Description
Males of the Norfolk Island subspecies differ from those of other subspecies in lacking the bright yellow, white and black markings and being similar to the females, though somewhat yellower. Relative to most other subspecies it is smaller, with a longer tail and heavier bill.
[Schodde & Mason, p.442.]
Distribution and habitat
The whistler is restricted to Norfolk Island, where it is largely confined to the Mt Pitt section of the
Norfolk Island National Park and remnant wooded areas within 2 km of the park. It inhabits shrubby understorey in
subtropical rainforest,
palm
Palm most commonly refers to:
* Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand
* Palm plants, of family Arecaceae
**List of Arecaceae genera
* Several other plants known as "palm"
Palm or Palms may also refer to:
Music
* Palm (ba ...
forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
and
Norfolk Island pines, as well as in regenerating forest. It also visits gardens.
Status and conservation
After a period of decline during the 1960s and 1970s, the population of the Norfolk golden whistler was estimated in 2005 at 535 breeding pairs. Ongoing threats include habitat degradation and predation by
black rats and
feral cat
A feral cat or a stray cat is an unowned domestic cat (''Felis catus'') that lives outdoors and avoids human contact: it does not allow itself to be handled or touched, and usually remains hidden from humans. Feral cats may breed over dozens ...
s. It is considered
vulnerable because of the restricted size of the population and area of its distribution. Ongoing conservation management actions include control of rats and feral cats to minimise predation as well as control of invasive weeds to minimise habitat degradation. It is proposed to reintroduce the whistler to nearby
Phillip Island
Phillip Island ( Boonwurrung: ''Corriong'', ''Worne'' or ''Millowl'') is an Australian island about south-southeast of Melbourne, Victoria. The island is named after Governor Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales, by explore ...
when the regenerating habitat there is suitable.
[Commonwealth of Australia, p.6.]
Notes
References
* Commonwealth of Australia. (2005). National Recovery Plan for the Norfolk Island Scarlet Robin, ''Petroica multicolor multicolor'', and the Norfolk Island Golden Whistler ''Pachycephala pectoralis xanthoprocta''. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra.
* Garnett, Stephen T.; & Crowley, Gabriel M. (2000). ''The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000''. Environment Australia: Canberra
* Higgins, P.J.; & Peter, J.M. (eds). (2003). ''Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 6: Pardalotes to Shrike-thrushes''. Oxford University Press: Melbourne.
*
Richard Schodde, Schodde, R.; & Mason, I.J. (1999). ''The Directory of Australian Birds: Passerines''. CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7051039
Birds of Norfolk Island
Pachycephala
Birds described in 1838