The rufous whistler (''Pachycephala rufiventris'') is a species of whistler found in New Caledonia and Australia. Predominantly a reddish-brown and grey bird, it makes up for its subdued plumage with its song-making ability. Like many other members of the

Pachycephalidae The Pachycephalidae are a family of bird species that includes the whistlers, shrikethrushes, and three of the pitohuis, and is part of the ancient Australo-Papuan radiation of songbirds. The family includes 64 species that are separated into fi ...

, it has a variety of musical calls.

Taxonomy and systematics

The rufous whistler was originally described in the genus '' Sylvia'' by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801. It was subsequently classified within the genera ''

Turdus True thrushes are medium-sized mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus ''Turdus'' of the wider thrush family, Turdidae. The genus name ''Turdus'' is Latin for "thrush". The term "thrush" is used for many other birds of the family Tu ...

'', ''

Laniarius ''Laniarius'' is a genus of brightly coloured, carnivorous passerine birds commonly known as boubous or gonoleks. Not to be confused with the similar-sounding genus ''Lanius'', they were formerly classed with the true shrikes in the family Lani ...

'', and ''

Lanius ''Lanius'', the typical shrikes, are a genus of passerine birds in the shrike family Laniidae. The majority of the family's species are placed in this genus. The genus name, ''Lanius'', is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shr ...

'' before being classified in its present genus, ''

Pachycephala ''Pachycephala'' is a genus of birds native to Oceania and Southeast Asia. They are commonly known as typical whistlers. Older guidebooks may refer to them as thickheads, a literal translation of the generic name, which is derived from the Ancien ...

''. Alternate names for the rufous whistler include the rufous-bellied whistler and white-bellied whistler. The latter name should not be confused with the species of the same name, ''

Pachycephala leucogastra The white-bellied whistler (''Pachycephala leucogastra'') is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae. The species has an oddly discontinuous distribution, occurring in two small patches of northern New Guinea, one small patch in south eas ...

''. Some authorities have considered the black-headed, drab, and

cinnamon-breasted whistler The cinnamon-breasted whistler (''Pachycephala johni'') is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae. It is endemic to Obira in the Maluku Islands. Formerly, some authorities considered it to be a subspecies of the rufous whistler, whil ...

s to be subspecies of the rufous whistler.

Subspecies

Five subspecies are recognized:IOC v.6.3 * ''P. r. minor'' – Zietz, FR, 1914: Found on Melville and Bathurst Islands (off northern Australia) * ''P. r. falcata'' –

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, ...

, 1843: Originally described as a separate species. Found in northern Australia * ''P. r. pallida'' – Ramsay, EP, 1878: Originally described as a separate species. Found in north-eastern Australia * ''P. r. rufiventris'' – ( Latham, 1801): Found in Australia (except northern Australia) * ''P. r. xanthetraea'' – ( Forster, JR, 1844): Originally described as a separate species 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 o ...

''. Found in New Caledonia

Description

Rufous whistlers are large-headed and stocky. They have short

beak The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for eating, preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for fo ...

s and long tails (almost as long as the rest of the bird) which are very narrow and have sharp, forked tips. The species is

sexually dimorphic Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

. While females are typically dull brown or grey with streaked underbodies, males are predominantly dark-grey with white throats and (in most cases) a black mask that covers most of their head and some of their neck. These birds are between 16 and 18 centimetres (6.3–7.1 inches) in size, on average, and their normal weight is approximately 25 grams (0.9 ounces). The rufous whistler has a variety of musical calls which consist of a lengthy series of ringing notes.

Distribution and habitat

The rufous whistler can be found in forested areas, woodland, and shrubland, but also in gardens and farmland. It migrates seasonally, moving south in the spring and north in the autumn. In New Caledonia the species does not undertake migrations but is instead resident in areas of open forest and savannah.

Behaviour and ecology

Breeding

Breeding in monogamous pairs, both males and females incubate their

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

and care for their young. The period of incubation is about 13 days on average. The female alone constructs the nest, which usually consists of a combination of twigs, vines, grass and other matter formed in a cup-like shape and attached to a tree branch using strands from

spider web A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web, or cobweb (from the archaic word '' coppe'', meaning "spider") is a structure created by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets, generally meant to catch its prey. Sp ...

s. The breeding season for rufous whistlers is between the months of July and February.

Feeding

While rufous whistlers primarily feed on insects, they also eat seeds, fruit and occasionally, leaves and grasses. They never forage for food on the ground which is unusual for whistlers which typically do not forage at particularly high levels.

References

External links

Basic information
- Birds in Backyards
www.jcu.edu.au
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3180293 rufous whistler Birds of Australia Birds of New Caledonia rufous whistler Articles containing video clips