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Eastern WhipbirdAlternate name(s): "Coachwhip-bird*", "Stockwhip-bird*", "Whipbird*" ![]() Size: 25-30 cm Weight: 47-72 g |
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Photos |
Race "olivaceus"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Close-up frontal portrait of an adult Eastern Whipbird
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Water Hole Road, Metung, near Lakes Entrance, VIC, November 2018]
Frontal view of an Eastern Whipbird
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast,
QLD, May 2014]
Frontal view of an adult Eastern Whipbird foraging in leaf litter
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast,
QLD, April 2013]
Near-frontal view of an Eastern Whipbird
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast,
QLD, May 2014]
Close-up near-lateral portrait of an Eastern Whipbird
issuing its call
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Water Hole Road, Metung, near Lakes Entrance, VIC, November 2018]
Near-lateral view of an Eastern Whipbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast,
QLD, January 2020]
Lateral view of an Eastern Whipbird (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast,
QLD, July 2017]
Lateral view of an Eastern Whipbird foraging amongst leaf
litter (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast,
QLD, April 2013]
Lateral view of an Eastern Whipbird in broad daylight
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lamington NP,
QLD, February 2018]
Lateral view of an adult Eastern Whipbird on a tree stump
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, September 2013]
Lateral view of an Eastern Whipbird issuing its characteristic
call
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, November 2014]
Near-dorsal view of an Eastern Whipbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lamington NP,
QLD, February 2018]
Near-dorsal view of an Eastern Whipbird foraging through
leaf litter
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast,
QLD, January 2020]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Lateral view of a sub-adult Eastern Whipbird moulting into
adult plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lamington NP,
QLD, February 2018]
Lateral view of juvenile Eastern Whipbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Samsonvale, QLD, May 2020]
Lateral view of an juvenile Eastern Whipbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, August 2017]
Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Eastern Whipbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, August 2017]
Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Eastern Whipbird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast,
QLD, January 2020]
Adult and juvenile Eastern Whipbird out in plain view
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Black Duck Reserve, Murrumba Downs, near Brisbane, QLD, September 2017]
Race "lateralis"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Close-up frontal view of an adult Eastern Whipbird
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Lake Eacham, Atherton Tablelands, QLD, August 2020]
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Sedentary | Elementary unit: Pair |
The Eastern Whipbirds observed by us at Wingham Brush Nature Reserve behaved differently compared to their cousins at Dorrigo NP: In the absence of dense underbrush they stayed in the tree tops almost all the time.
View of the underside of an Eastern Whipbird high up in a tree top
[Wingham Brush NR,
NSW, September 2011]
This photo shows an Eastern Whipbird using its foot to help hold down
something while foraging in leaf litter
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast,
QLD, April 2013]
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Food, Diet |
Eastern Whipbirds forage in the leaf litter of dense forests for insects. However, when necessary they appear to find food in tree tops as well.
Eastern Whipbird with its prey, a cockroach
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast,
QLD, July 2017]
Near-dorsal view of an Eastern Whipbird with its prey
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast,
QLD, January 2020]
This Eastern Whipbird was observed trying to catch the spider
whose web can be seen in the photo; while chasing the spider,
it used an
alarm call, as recorded on 14 March 2016
[Bunya Mountains NP,
QLD, March 2016]
This Eastern Whipbird was observed trying to catch the spider
whose web can be seen in the photo; while chasing the spider,
it used an
alarm call, as recorded on 14 March 2016
[Bunya Mountains NP,
QLD, March 2016]
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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.
The sound tracks below, which are brought to a normalized intensity in order to ensure linear amplification, cannot correctly reproduce the enormous volume of Eastern Whipbirds' calls. When nearby, their calls are absolutely ear-piercing in pitch and intensity. The calls carry, through rainforest, over distances of 500-1000 m.
eastwhp_20150820_4.m4a |
olivaceus (NE NSW) |
Contact call (male?) | © MD | |
eastwhp_20150820_2.m4a |
olivaceus (NE NSW) |
Pair Q&A | © MD | |
eastwhp_20140522_A.mp3 |
olivaceus (SE QLD) |
Pair Q&A (very close) | © MD | |
eastwhp_art_20131125_3.m4a |
olivaceus (SE QLD) |
Pair Q&As | © ART | |
eastwhp_20140524_2.mp3 |
olivaceus (SE QLD) |
Q&2As (two responses) | © MD | |
eastwhp_20150820.m4a |
olivaceus (NE NSW) |
Q&A(?) | © MD | |
eastwhp_20150328.m4a |
olivaceus (N NSW) |
Alarm call | © MD | |
eastwhp_20170608.m4a |
olivaceus (SE QLD) |
"Loudspeaker test" | © MD |
More Eastern Whipbird sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.