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White-fronted Chat (Epthianura albifrons) Alternate name(s): "Tang", "Banded Tintac", "Ringlet", "White-fronted Nun", "Clipper", "Jenny-wren", "Baldyhead", "Gar", "Bumps", "Moon-bird", "Ring-neck", "Single-bar", "Thistlebird" Misnomer: "Dotterel" Aboriginal name(s): "yabawilban" (WA) Size: 11-13 cm Body mass: 11-17 g

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Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description White-fronted Chats are very small insect-eating birds. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male White-fronted Chats have a white front and frontal parts of the head, except for a broad black breast band that connects to the back of the head via the equally black neck. The back (mantle to rump) is grey. The wings and uppertail are dark brownish-grey. The bill is black; the legs and feet are dark-grey. Female White-fronted Chats have an off-white front, except for a black-brown breast band that is narrower than the males'. The head and back are brownish-grey, with brown and dark-grey flight feathers. The bill is dark-grey; the legs and feet are grey. The eyes of both sexes have yellowish irises, with some colour variations. Juveniles resemble females, with more brownish colours and a less pronounced dark breast band.

Taxonomy, classification See White-fronted Chat at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the White-fronted Chat is available HERE . NB: Reports on ebird of birds submitted by birdwatchers from the Australian Outback tend to be clustered along roads and public areas such as camp grounds; in such cases their distribution is not a good representation of the overall distribution of the species. White-fronted Chats are endemic to Australia. They populate roughly the southern third of the continent and most of Tasmania (except the far south-western part). On the continent their range extends to a northern boundary running roughly from Exmouth, WA, inland towards Lake Eyre, SA, and on to roughly along the NSW/QLD border. Within that area they are not found in the highest/roughest parts of the Great Dividing Range and only rarely in a near-coastal strip around Perth, WA, and the Nullarbor, WA/SA. They are present on several offshore islands (e.g. Kangaroo Island, SA, and the islands along Bass Strait towards Tasmania). White-fronted Chats have a preference for low vegetation (mostly shrubs) in salty environments. They are also found in crops.

Sightings Click here for sighting information B. Hensen reports spotting White-fronted Chats at Kooragang Island, Newcastle, NSW, in February 2013. R. Plumtree reports spotting a White-fronted Chat at Hollands Landing, Lake Victoria, East Gippsland, VIC, in October 2014, and at Lake Tyrrell, VIC, in October 2019. M. Eaton found a White-fronted Chat at Wonnerup Wetlands, Busselton, WA, in April 2019. M. Eaton also reports finding White-fronted Chats at Lake Bindegolly NP, near Thargomindah, QLD, in June 2019. In April 2021, M. Eaton also spotted White-fronted Chats at the Orielton Lagoon, near Sorell, TAS, followed by a sighting at St. Helens, TAS, in September 2021. Together with V. Collins, we spotted a White-fronted Chat at Macquarie Marshes NR, NSW, in May 2021. In February 2022 we found a mob of ca. 30 White-fronted Chats at Goran Lake, an ephemeral lake 30 km South of Gunnedah, NSW. Another pair of White-fronted Chats was found between Piliga and Burren Junction, NSW, in May 2022. Two young birds were found nearby in February 2024. In September 2024, M. Eaton found White-fronted Chats at St. Helens, TAS.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Male White-fronted Chats have a white face with a black cap, while females have a grey head with light-grey lores. is more brownish.

Near-frontal/near-dorsal view of a pair of White-fronted Chats
[Between Burren Junction and Pilliga, NSW, May 2022]

MALE

Near-frontal view of a male White-fronted Chat looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. Helens, TAS, September 2021]

Near-frontal view of a male White-fronted Chat (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. Helens, TAS, September 2021]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a male White-fronted Chat looking for prey
[Macquarie Marshes NR, NSW, May 2021]

Near-lateral view of a male White-fronted Chat (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Orielton Lagoon, near Sorell, TAS, April 2021]

Near-lateral view of a male White-fronted Chat (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. Helens, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral view of a male White-fronted Chat looking out from its hiding place in wheat stubble
[Between Burren Junction and Pilliga, NSW, May 2022]

Lateral view of a male White-fronted Chat (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Kooragang Island, Newcastle, NSW, February 2013]

Close-up lateral view of a male White-fronted Chat (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Orielton Lagoon, near Sorell, TAS, April 2021]

Lateral view of a male White-fronted Chat (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. Helens, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral view of a male White-fronted Chat (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Bindegolly NP, near Thargomindah, QLD, June 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a male White-fronted Chat
[Macquarie Marshes NR, NSW, May 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a male White-fronted Chat (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Orielton Lagoon, near Sorell, TAS, April 2021]

FEMALE

Close-up frontal view of a female White-fronted Chat looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Orielton Lagoon, near Sorell, TAS, April 2021]

Close-up frontal view of a female White-fronted Chat looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Orielton Lagoon, near Sorell, TAS, April 2021]

Close-up near-lateral view of a female White-fronted Chat looking backwards (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Orielton Lagoon, near Sorell, TAS, April 2021]

Near-lateral view of a female White-fronted Chat looking backwards (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. Helens, TAS, September 2024]

Close-up lateral view of a female White-fronted Chat looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Orielton Lagoon, near Sorell, TAS, April 2021]

Close-up lateral view of a female White-fronted Chat (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Orielton Lagoon, near Sorell, TAS, April 2021]

Lateral view of a female White-fronted Chat (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. Helens, TAS, September 2024]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a female White-fronted Chat looking backwards (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Orielton Lagoon, near Sorell, TAS, April 2021]

Dorsal view of a female White-fronted Chat looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Orielton Lagoon, near Sorell, TAS, April 2021]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of an immature male White-fronted Chat
[Between Burren Junction and Pilliga, NSW, February 2024]

Frontal view of a juvenile White-fronted Chat with its prey, a flying insect
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, February 2022]

Near-frontal view of a juvenille White-fronted Chat, right, with a female on the left
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, February 2022]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal?

Mobility: Nomadic/dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair/mob

White-fronted Chats can form mobs; lateral view of part of a mob of 30 in flight
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, February 2022]

White-fronted Chats can form mobs; lateral view of part of a mob of 30 in flight
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, February 2022]

Food, Diet

Frontal view of a male White-fronted Chat with its prey, a spider (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Bindegolly NP, near Thargomindah, QLD, June 2019]

Frontal view of a male White-fronted Chat with its prey, a caterpillar (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Lake Tyrrell, VIC, October 2019]

Frontal view of a female White-fronted Chat with caterpillars (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Bindegolly NP, near Thargomindah, QLD, June 2019]

Lateral view of a female White-fronted Chat with its prey, a flying insect, looking towards the observer
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. Helens, TAS, September 2024]

Lateral view of a female White-fronted Chat with its prey, a flying insect (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. Helens, TAS, September 2024]

Frontal view of a juvenile White-fronted Chat with its prey, a flying insect
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, February 2022]

White-fronted Chats having a drink of water from a shallow ephemeral lake
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, February 2022]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

wfrchat_20220218.m4a	(NW NSW)	?	© MD
wfrchat_20220218_3.m4a	(NW NSW)	?	© MD
wfrchat_20220315.m4a	(NW NSW)	?	© MD
wfrchat_20220218_2.m4a	(NW NSW)	? (mob of 30 in flight)	© MD

More White-fronted Chat sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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