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 (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

found in forest, woodland, mallee, mangrove and scrub in Australia (except the interior and most of the north). Most populations are resident, but some in south-eastern Australia migrate north during the winter. Its

taxonomy image:Hierarchical clustering diagram.png, 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practice and science concerned with classification or categorization. Typically, there are two parts to it: the development of an underlying scheme o ...

is highly complex and remains a matter of dispute, with some authorities including as many as 59

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

of the golden whistler (one of the highest numbers of subspecies in any bird), while others treat several of these as separate species. This bird is also known as White-Throated Thickhead in older books.

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 occurri ...

'' 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''; : 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 name and ...

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). Five remaining

are recognized: * ''P. p. pectoralis'' - ( Latham, 1801): Found in eastern Australia * Norfolk golden whistler (''P. p. xanthoprocta'') - Gould, 1838: Originally described as a separate species. Found on

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island ( , ; ) is an States and territories of Australia, external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head, New South Wales, Evans Head and a ...

(Australia). * Lord Howe golden whistler (''P. p. contempta'') -

Hartert Ernst Johann Otto Hartert (29 October 1859 – 11 November 1933) was a widely published German people, German ornithologist. Life and career Hartert was born in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg on 29 October 1859. In July 1891, he married ...

, 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 Port ...

(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 Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

and the

Bass Strait Islands Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The strait provides the most direct waterw ...

(Australia) Some authorities also consider the following related species as subspecies of the Australian golden whistler: * Rusty-breasted (fulvous-tinted) whistler from south-western

Wallacea Wallacea is a biogeography, biogeographical designation for a group of mainly list of islands of Indonesia, Indonesian islands separated by deep-water straits from the Asian and Australia (continent), Australian continental shelf, continental ...

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

and

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

in Indonesia. * Yellow-throated whistler from central and south-eastern Wallacea. * Baliem whistler from west-central New Guinea. * Black-chinned whistler from

North Maluku North Maluku (; ) 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 south. It shares marit ...

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 o ...

s in Papua New Guinea. * Oriole whistler from the Solomons (except

Santa Cruz Islands The Santa Cruz Islands form an archipelago in Temotu Province, Solomon Islands. They lie approximately to the southeast of the Solomon Islands (archipelago), Solomon Islands archipelago, just north of the archipelago of Vanuatu and are con ...

), and the islands of Bougainville and Buka in far eastern Papua New Guinea. * Fiji whistler 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 In biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. ...

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 The Samoan whistler (''Pachycephala flavifrons''), also known as the yellow-fronted whistler, is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae. It is endemic to Samoa, where found in forest, plantations and gardens. Taxonomy The Samoan whistle ...

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 The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

-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 Plumage () is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, there can b ...

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 cover other feathers. The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail. Ear coverts The ear coverts are small feathers behind t ...

. Both sexes have a black bill, dark legs and red-brown eyes. 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 ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...

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 ar ...

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 evaluated and categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as not being a focus of wildlife conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wil ...

, 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 or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

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 as ...

. 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.

References

External links

Photos and audio of golden whistler on eBird

Sonograms of golden whistler on xeno-canto

Photos and calls of golden whistler by Graeme Chapman
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1584926 Pachycephala Birds of Australia Birds of the Maluku Islands Birds of the Lesser Sunda Islands Birds of Melanesia Birds described in 1801 Articles containing video clips