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20

Olive Whistler (Pachycephala olivacea) Alternate name(s): "Olivaceous Whistler", "Olive Thickhead"; misnomer: "Native Thrush" Size: 20-22 cm Weight: 35-45 g

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Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Olive Whistlers are large whistlers. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are slightly different. There are small colour differences between the various races. Male Olive Whistlers have a dark-grey head down to the level of the lower mandible of the bill. The throat is whitish, with grey barring, below which there is a grey breast band and a buff-brown belly, vent and undertail coverts. The back is grey-brown with an olive tinge. The flight feathers are more dark-grey. Female Olive Whistlers have no barring on their throat and a more brownish head. Juveniles are more rufous-brown than adults and have a brownish bill.

Taxonomy, classification See Olive 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 Olive Whistler is available HERE . Olive Whistlers are endemic to Australia. They are found only in the south-eastern corner of the Australian continent and in Tasmania. The range of nominate race "olivacea" extends from just to the North of Melbourne, VIC, eastward through the ranges and to the South-East coast, up to Woollongong, NSW. Further North they are found only in the Great Dividing Range, up to about Watagans NP, NSW. The western boundary of their range is near Canberra, ACT. Further North in the Great Dividing Range, from Barrington Tops NP in NSW to the NSW/QLD border, race "macphersoniana" is found. Race "bathychroa" populates only two small areas on the VIC coast, near Wilson's Promontory and around Cape Otway. Race "apatetes" occurs in Tasmania and the smaller islands along Bass Strait. Race "hesperus" is present along the coast either side of the VIC/SA border, from about Portland, VIC, to Carpenter Rocks, SA. Olive Whistlers have a preference for tall, wet forest, but are also found in alpine heath.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "olivacea" R. Plumtree reports spotting an Olive Whistler, race "olivacea", by the side of Doctors Flat Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, in May 2014. The species was seen in the same area in March 2017 and another at Mt. Nunniong, VIC, in November 2017. The next sighting followed in Great Otway NP, VIC, in May 2019. Race "apatetes" M. Eaton reports finding Olive Whistlers, race "apatetes", along the Queen Elizabeth Track, Bruny Island, TAS, in April 2021.

Photos

Race "olivacea"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Olive Whistler issuing its call (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Plain Creek, Nunniong Plains, Mt. Nunniong, VIC, November 2017]

Near-frontal view of a male Olive Whistler (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Plain Creek, Nunniong Plains, Mt. Nunniong, VIC, November 2017]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Olive Whistler (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Great Otway NP, VIC, May 2019]

Near-frontal view of a female Olive Whistler (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Great Otway NP, VIC, May 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Olive Whistler (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2017]

Near-lateral view of a female Olive Whistler (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Great Otway NP, VIC, May 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile Olive Whistler (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Doctors Flat Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, May 2014]

Lateral view of a juvenile Olive Whistler, different posture (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Doctors Flat Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, May 2014]

Race "apatetes"

ADULT

MALE

Lateral view of a male Olive Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Elizabeth Track, Bruny Island, TAS, April 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a male Olive Whistler taking a bath (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Elizabeth Track, Bruny Island, TAS, April 2021]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a female Olive Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Elizabeth Track, Bruny Island, TAS, April 2021]

Near-lateral view of a female Olive Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Elizabeth Track, Bruny Island, TAS, April 2021]

Lateral view of a female Olive Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Elizabeth Track, Bruny Island, TAS, April 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a female Olive Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Elizabeth Track, Bruny Island, TAS, April 2021]

Behaviour

Dorsal view of a male Olive Whistler taking a bath (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Elizabeth Track, Bruny Island, TAS, April 2021]

Food, Diet

Near-lateral view of a female Olive Whistler scooping up water (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Elizabeth Track, Bruny Island, TAS, April 2021]

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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Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Wed, 26 May 2021, 4:22 +00:00