The Lord Howe golden whistler (''Pachycephala pectoralis contempta''), 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. It is a
subspecies of the
Australian golden whistler that is
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
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 ...
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 ...
, part of
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
,
Australia.
Taxonomy and systematics
The Lord Howe golden whistler was originally described as a separate species.
Description
Males are similar to those of the
nominate subspecies, though with a broader yellow collar. Females differ slightly in having their primary and secondary feathers distinctly washed with cinnamon-brown, a yellowish-grey belly and pale-yellow under-tail coverts.
Distribution and habitat
The whistler is restricted to Lord Howe Island, where it widely distributed through the native
subtropical rainforest, as well as in remnant native vegetation on roadsides in settled areas.
Behaviour
Breeding
The whistler breeds from September to January. It builds an open cup-shaped nest of palm fibres and vine tendrils, lined with grass, in which it lays a clutch of two eggs.
Feeding
The whistlers eat spiders, insects and insect larvae, foraging through tree branches as well as on the ground in leaf litter.
Status and conservation
The population of the Lord Howe golden whistler has been estimated at about 2,000 breeding birds and stable. It has been listed as
vulnerable by the Australian Government because of its small distribution. It is not listed anymore.
[EPBC Act]
Notes
References
*
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
* 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.
* Hindwood, K.A. (1940). Birds of Lord Howe Island. ''Emu'' 40: 1-86.
* Hutton, Ian. (1991). ''Birds of Lord Howe Island: Past and Present''. Author: Lord Howe Island.
*
Richard Schodde, Schodde, R.; &
Mason, I.J. (1999). ''The Directory of Australian Birds: Passerines''. CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.
External links
Threatened species of New South Wales: Lord Howe Island golden whistler
Birds of Lord Howe Island
Birds described in 1898
Pachycephala
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