Golden Whistler

Taxobox
name = Golden Whistler


image_width = 225px
image_caption = Male in Cowan, New South Wales
status = LC
status_system = iucn3.1
status_ref =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = Pachycephalidae
genus = "Pachycephala"
species = "P. pectoralis"
binomial = "Pachycephala pectoralis"
binomial_authority = Latham, 1802

The Golden Whistler ("Pachycephala pectoralis") is a species of bird native to the Australia-New Guinea region and extending somewhat into the Pacific. It is among the birds with the highest number of geographic subspecies. The male usually has a bright yellow underside, olive-green back and wings, and a black head with a yellow collar. The females have various subdued colors across the range; both sexes have red-brown eyes. Golden Whistlers have a strong, musical voice.

Distribution

Distribution of the Golden Whisler extends across Australia except parts of Western Australia. They can also be found in Tasmania, Indonesia, Fiji, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. Golden Whistlers live in the same area for most of the year, but birds in the south-east migrate during winter months.

Ecology

The Golden Whistler can be found in almost any wooded habitat, especially dense forests. It eats berries, insects, spiders, and other small arthropods. They usually feed alone and obtain food from the lower to middle tree level, or they may alternatively take part in mixed-species feeding flocks. On Santa Isabel Island for example it was noted that this species only joins such flocks as they move through inland forest, away from the coast or larger rivers (Kratter "et al." 2001).

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.

Gallery

References

*|year=2004|id=51066|title=Pachycephala pectoralis|downloaded=12 May 2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

* (2001): Avifauna of a lowland forest site on Isabel, Solomon Islands. "Auk" 118(2): 472–483. DOI:10.1642/0004-8038(2001)118 [0472:AOALFS] 2.0.CO;2 [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3793/is_200104/ai_n8936651 HTML fulltext without images]

External links

* [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=5652&m=0 BirdLife Species Factsheet]
* http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/golden_whistler.htm - source of the sketch
* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=6929 Golden Whistler videos] on the Internet Bird Collection