20

White-breasted Whistler (Pachycephala lanioides) Alternate name(s): "White-bellied Whistler", "White-bellied Thickhead" Size: 19-21 cm Body mass: 34-48 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 White-breasted Whistlers are large whistlers. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male White-breasted Whistlers have a large white throat patch surrounded by a broad black chest band that connects to the equally black head plumage. A thin band around the lower edge of the breast band and the nape of the neck are rufous. The rest of the front, plus the sides and flanks are creamy to off-white. The bakc is grey, with dark-grey flight feathers that have lighter grey edge lining. The tail is dark-grey. The heavy, straight bill is black. Female White-breasted Whistlers have a light grey-brown front, with a throat patch that is slightly striated and a bit lighter than the rest of the front. They have inconspicuous light-grey eye-rings. The top of the head is brownish-grey; the back is grey. The wings are dark brownish-grey; the tail is dark-grey. The bill is dark brownish-black. Both sexes have eyes with red-brown irises. The legs and feet are dark-grey. Juveniles resemble females, but they have much more rufous tints, and more streaking on the front. Twitcher's tip Compared with Rufous Whistlers, they have a much wider black chest band and an otherwise much lighter front.

Taxonomy, classification See White-breasted 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 White-breasted Whistler is available HERE . All three races of White-breasted Whistlers are endemic to Australia. Race "carnarvoni" populates a narrow fringe along the Pilbara Coast in WA, from the Yannarie River (possibly as far South as the Wooramel River) and up to the De Grey River. The range of nominate race "lanioides" extends from about Broome, WA, to Prince Regent NR. Race "fretorum" is found from the WA/NT border all along the NT coastline and as far East as the southern tip of the Gulf of Carpentaria. White-breasted Whistlers have a strong preference for mangrove.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "fretorum" B. Hensen reports spotting White-breasted Whistlers, race "fretorum", at Kulaluk, Darwin, NT, in March 2013. P. Brown reports finding a family of White-breasted Whistlers, race "fretorum", at Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, in the timeframe July/August 2020. M. Eaton also found the species at the same location in August 2020. Next, M. Eaton spotted White-breasted Whistlers, race "fretorum", at Crab Creek Mangroves, Broome, WA, in June 2026.

Photos

Race "fretorum"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male White-breasted Whistler looking sideways (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Frontal view of a male White-breasted Whistler looking sideways (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Frontal view of a male White-breasted Whistler looking backwards (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Close-up frontal/ventral view of a male White-breasted Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Crab Creek Mangroves, Broome, WA, June 2026]

Close-up frontal/ventral view of a male White-breasted Whistler looking sideways
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Crab Creek Mangroves, Broome, WA, June 2026]

Lateral view of a male White-breasted Whistler; this bird was elusive and hard to photograph (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Kulaluk, Darwin, NT, March 2013]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a male White-breasted Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Crab Creek Mangroves, Broome, WA, June 2026]

Dorsal view of a male White-breasted Whistler looking sideways (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female White-breasted Whistler looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Crab Creek Mangroves, Broome, WA, June 2026]

Near-frontal view of a female White-breasted Whistler; note the dark bill (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a female White-breasted Whistler looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Kulaluk, Darwin, NT, March 2013]

Lateral view of a female White-breasted Whistler (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Crab Creek Mangroves, Broome, WA, June 2026]

Partly obscured close-up lateral view of a female White-breasted Whistler
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile White-breasted Whistler looking at the observer; note the pale bill (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a juvenile White-breasted Whistler (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a juvenile White-breasted Whistler (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

Lateral view of a juvenile White-breasted Whistler, now aware of the observer (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Mar - Nov

Eggs: 1 - 2

Incubation period: 15-16 days

Fledging age: ca. 16 days

Given the right conditions, White-breasted Whistlers can breed at any time of the year.

Nest building: Female

Incubation: Female

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Hanging basket

Material: Twigs, fine roots, lined with rootlets

Height above ground: 1 - 5 m

The same female White-breasted Whistler as shown above, now near its nest that is still under construction
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Kulaluk, Darwin, NT, March 2013]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 27 x 19 mm

Colour: Creamy, with dark-brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Food, Diet

White-breasted Whistlers have a massive bill, enabling them to prey on anthropods such as small crabs.

Lateral view of a male White-breasted Whistler hunting in mangrove in an intertidal wetland (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

Lateral view of a male White-breasted Whistler with its prey; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 7 August 2020 (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

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.

wbrwhis_pb_20200807_3.m4a	(Darwin, NT)	Contact calls (male)	© PB
wbrwhis_pb_20200807_2.m4a	(Darwin, NT)	Contact calls + alarm calls (male)	© PB
wbrwhis_pb_20200830.m4a	(Darwin, NT)	Contact calls	© PB
wbrwhis_pb_20210210_2.m4a	(Darwin, NT)	Contact calls	© PB
wbrwhis_pb_20210210.m4a	(Darwin, NT)	Teritorial call	© PB
wbrwhis_pb_20200807.m4a	(Darwin, NT)	Various (male)	© PB
wbrwhis_pb_20200802.m4a	(Darwin, NT)	Various (male) (+ Bar-shouldered Dove)	© PB
wbrwhis_pb_20201014.m4a	(Darwin, NT)	?	© PB

More White-breasted 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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.