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Mangrove Golden Whistler (Pachycephala melanura) Alternate name(s): "Black-tailed Whistler", "Robust Whistler" Size: 15-17 cm Body mass: 18-31 g

Australia: Family Group 20 Family Group 20 Table Eastern Whipbird Chirruping Wedgebill Chiming Wedgebill Spotted Quail-thrush Cinnamon Quail-thrush Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush Varied Sittella Crested Bellbird Eastern (Crested) Shrike-tit Northern (Crested) Shrike-tit Grey Whistler Olive Whistler Golden Whistler Western Whistler Mangrove Golden Whistler White-breasted Whistler Rufous Whistler Gilbert's Whistler Rufous Shrike-thrush Arafura Shrike-thrush (Little Shrike-thrush) Bower's Shrike-thrush Sandstone Shrike-thrush Grey Shrike-thrush Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Mangrove Golden Whistlers are medium-sized whistlers. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male Mangrove Golden Whistlers have a large white throat patch surrounded by a broad black chest band that connects to the equally black head plumage. The rest of the front, plus the sides, flanks and nape of the neck, are all golden-yellow. The mantle is olive-green, the rump is olive-yellow, while the wing feathers are dark-grey with olive edge lining. The tail is dark-grey. Female Mangrove Golden Whistlers, race "melanura", have a light-grey front, with a throat patch that is slightly barred and a bit lighter than the rest of the front. They have inconspicuous light-grey eye-rings. The top of the head and the back are brownish-grey. The flight feathers are dark-grey, with some olive edge lining. The tail is olive-grey. The only yellow parts of female Mangrove Golden Whistlers, race "melanura", are the vent and undertail coverts. Females of race "robusta" have a yellow front, from the chest to the undertail coverts. Both sexes have eyes with dark-brown irises. The bill, legs and feet are dark-grey. Juveniles resemble females, but they have much more rufous tints, rather than plain grey to greyish-brown. Twitcher's tip Compared with Mangrove Golden Whistlers, they are brighter yellow.

Taxonomy, classification See Mangrove Golden Whistler 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 Mangrove Golden Whistler is available HERE . Mangrove Golden Whistlers can be found in tropical northern Australia, parts of New Guinea and on Latangai Island and New Britain, islands in the Bismarck archipelago of Papua New Guinea. Mangrove Golden Whistlers populate a very narrow strip along the tropical North coast of Australia. Nominate race "melanura" occurs along the tropical coastline of WA, from about the tropic of Capricorn to roughly the border with the NT (with the exception of Eighty Mile Beach). Farther East, all along the coastline of the NT and QLD, down to the tropic of Capricorn, endemic race "robusta" is present. Race "spinicauda" is found only on offshore islands along Torres Strait. Mangrove Golden Whistlers have a preference for mangrove, dense vegetation along coastal creeks and rivers and other types of dense coastal forest.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "melanura" M. Eaton found Mangrove Golden Whistlers, race "melanura", at Streeters Jetty, Broome, WA, in July 2026. Race "robusta" B. Hensen reports spotting Mangrove Golden Whistlers, race "robusta", at Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, in July 2012 and again in November 2018. P. Brown reports finding a Mangrove Golden Whistler, race "robusta", at Coconut Grove and Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, in March 2019. M. Eaton found Mangrove Golden Whistlers, race "robusta", at East Point and Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, in August 2020.

Photos

Race "melanura"

ADULT

MALE

Full-frontal view of a male Mangrove Golden Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Streeters Jetty, Broome, WA, July 2026]

Near-frontal view of a male Mangrove Golden Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Streeters Jetty, Broome, WA, July 2026]

Near-frontal view of a male Mangrove Golden Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Streeters Jetty, Broome, WA, July 2026]

Near-lateral view of a male Mangrove Golden Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Streeters Jetty, Broome, WA, July 2026]

Lateral view of a male Mangrove Golden Whistler looking for prey (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Streeters Jetty, Broome, WA, July 2026]

Race "robusta"

ADULT

MALE

Lateral view of a male Mangrove Golden Whistler (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, November 2018]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Mangrove Golden Whistler (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, July 2012]

Near-dorsal view of a male Mangrove Golden Whistler (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, November 2018]

Dorsal view of a male Mangrove Golden Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, August 2020]

FEMALE

Near-lateral view of a female Mangrove Golden Whistler (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, July 2012]

Lateral view of a female Mangrove Golden Whistler (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, November 2018]

Dorsal view of a female Mangrove Golden Whistler (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of an immature female(?) Mangrove Golden Whistler; note the yellow vent (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[East Point, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

Near-lateral view of an immature female(?) Mangrove Golden Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[East Point, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

Lateral view of an immature female(?) Mangrove Golden Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[East Point, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

Near-dorsal view of an immature female(?) Mangrove Golden Whistler; note the rufous edge lining on the wing feathers
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[East Point, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Pair

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.

mangwhs_me_20260704.m4a	melanura (Broome, WA)	Various (male)	© ME
mangwhs_pb_20190220.m4a	robusta (Darwin, NT)	Various (male)	© PB
mangwhs_pb_20200310.m4a	robusta (Darwin, NT)	Various (male)	© PB
mangwhs_pb_20190530.m4a	robusta (Darwin, NT)	Various	© PB

More Mangrove 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.

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