Australian golden whistler

Golden Whistler
Golden Whistler (male)
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Pachycephalidae
Genus:	Pachycephala
Species:	P. pectoralis
Binomial name
Pachycephala pectoralis (Latham, 1802)

The Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis) is a species of birds native to Australia. The male has a bright yellow underside, olive-green back and wings, and a black head with a yellow collar. The females do not have bright plumage and both sexes have red-brown eyes. Golden Whistler's have a strong, musical voice.

Habitat and Distribution

The Golden Whistler can be found in almost any wooded habitat, especially dense forests. 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.

Diet

Golden Whistlers eat berries, insects, spiders, and small arthropods. They feed alone and obtain food from the lower to middle tree level.

Mating

Golden Whistlers breed 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.

Images

A sketch of the Golden Whistler

References

• Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

External links

• http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/golden_whistler.htm - source of the sketch
• Golden Whistler videos on the Internet Bird Collection