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Gilbert's Whistler
(Pachycephala inornata)
: "Black-lored Whistler", "Red-throated Whistler",
"Gilbert's Thickhead", "Gilbert Whistler"
Size: 19-20 cm
Weight: 26-38 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Gilbert's Whistlers are large whistlers. Their
plumage is
dimorphic, i.e.
males and
females
are slightly different.
Male
Gilbert's Whistlers have a large orange-brown throat patch.
The rest of the front, sides and flanks is mostly grey, with some
pale orange-brown tint down the centre of the belly towards vent
and undertail coverts. The head and back are brownish-grey, the
tail is grey. The wing feathers are dark-grey, with lighter grey
edge lining.
Female
Gilbert's Whistlers have a light-grey throat patch and a
grey front. Their ear coverts are also grey. Their back is
lighter grey than the
males'.
Both sexes have eyes with red-brown irises. The bill is black; legs
and feet are dark-grey.
Juveniles
have more rufous-brown tints than
adults.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Gilbert's
Whistler at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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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
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The global distribution of Gilbert's Whistler is available
HERE
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Gilbert's Whistlers are endemic to the southern part of the Australian
continent. They occur in an isolated area of about 200 km around Cobar,
central western NSW, in the lower Murray-Darling Basin, along the
NSW/VIC border to about Yarrawonga in the East, along the coastline
of the Great Australian Bight (but not Eyre peninsula in SA),
around (but not in) the Nullarbor and on into southern WA. In WA
they are not found on the south-western tip of the continent, but
an area stretching from the WA/SA coastal border westward (the Wheat
Belt), encompassing Kalgoorlie, WA, and towards the West coast of WA
to the North of Perth.
Although there are no races, the birds outside the Murray-Darling
catchment, West of roughly the NSW/VIC border, tend to be darker
than their eastern cousins.
Gilbert's Whistlers have a preference for
mallee-type
woodland and
scrub.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
R. Brinsley reports spotting Gilbert's Whistlers 85 km West of
Wentworth, NSW, regularly, e.g. in October 2010 and again in
November 2019.
R. Plumtree reports
finding Gilbert's Whistlers at Mount Korong, VIC, in November 2018.
M. Eaton spotted a Gilbert's Whistler at Lake Gilles, SA, in
June 2023.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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Close-up frontal view of a male Gilbert's Whistler
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles, SA, June 2023]
Frontal view of a male Gilbert's Whistler
(photo courtesy of R. Brinsley)
[85 km west of Wentworth, NSW, October 2010]
Close-up near-frontal/ventral view of a male Gilbert's Whistler
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles, SA, June 2023]
Close-up near-lateral/ventral view of a male Gilbert's Whistler issuing its
call
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles, SA, June 2023]
Close-up near-lateral/ventral view of a male Gilbert's Whistler
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles, SA, June 2023]
Close-up lateral view of a male Gilbert's Whistler issuing its
call
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles, SA, June 2023]
Lateral view of a male Gilbert's Whistler
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Mount Korong, VIC, November 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a male Gilbert's Whistler
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Mount Korong, VIC, November 2018]
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Call(s)/Song |
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For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own; are welcome.
More Gilbert's Whistler 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.